


this is how we get notorious

by kopycat_101



Series: Nathmarc November [25]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Aged-Up Character(s), Akumatized Main Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Anal Sex, Angst, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Blow Jobs, Bullying, Casual Sex, Communication, Deepthroating, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Dirty Talk, Enemies to Lovers, Feelings Realization, First Dates, Frottage, Future Fic, Gay Marc Anciel, Getting to Know Each Other, Grinding, Hair-pulling, Hook-Up, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Marc Anciel Has an Anxiety Disorder, Mental Health Issues, Mildly Dubious Consent, Misunderstandings, Mutual Masturbation, Nathaniel Kurtzberg Has ADHD, Obsessive Behavior, Pining, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Public Blow Jobs, Public Sex, Romance, Rough Kissing, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Smut, Social Media, Stalking, Suicidal Thoughts, Switching, The boys actually sit and have a Talk like normal adults, Unhealthy Relationships, Victim Blaming, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:09:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27659977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: Reverser’s a newer Akuma, only appeared a few months ago. He’s also been an Akuma Nathaniel has seen much too often recently.Reverser has been hunting him down a lot, as of late. Like, specifically going after him every time he appears. Nathaniel’s both a little flattered, and a lot terrified. Sure, Hawkmoth wanting his services again as an Akuma makes sense, but did he have to send someone so gung-ho and ridiculously hot to go about it…?(A fic with a complicated love square between Nathaniel and Marc, lots of questionable actions, seduction, and sex. And maybe a bit of falling in love, along the way.)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Le Dessinateur | The Evillustrator/Reverser, Luka Couffaine/Nathaniel Kurtzberg (past), Marc Anciel & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Le Dessinateur | The Evillustrator, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Nathaniel Kurtzberg (past), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nathaniel Kurtzberg/Reverser
Series: Nathmarc November [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994782
Comments: 54
Kudos: 49





	1. Things We’re Taking

**Author's Note:**

> For NathMarc November Day 25: Embrace
> 
> I'm posting this a bit early, because it's currently over 20k and I'm still not done. So, I've decided to post things into chunks for easier reading.
> 
> Essentially, this is an AU in which:  
> Marc and Nath never met at Dupont  
> It's about four years after canon, so the characters are now 19  
> Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste and still on the loose  
> The way Hawkmoth Akumatizes his victims is different. Essentially, once he Akumatizes you the first time with his butterflies, it's like putting a tracker on you. He can find one of his past Akumatized victims, and try and stir up/grab their strong negative emotions and Akumatize them again, no need for another butterfly.
> 
> Warning: stalking, mild dubious consent, possessive behavior.

* * *

Nathaniel pants, feet hitting the pavement as he runs and runs, swerving around trash cans and ducking into alleyways.

The darkness is spreading, from his heart to the rest of his body. He doesn’t want it, doesn’t want this. But every time his heart beats, it pumps his blood, and the poison spreads.

He can’t stop running, though, or else he’ll get caught—

“What’s the use in running?” the familiar voice calls out jeeringly. Nathaniel doesn’t need to look behind his shoulder to know who that mocking, deep voice belongs to. The villain hasn’t stopped, and won’t stop following him on his glider, anyways.

Nathaniel doesn’t answer the jibes, still running, even as he gasps for breath and the purple tone creeps down the edge of his sleeves, already encroaching on his wrists.

He has to fight off the influence of Hawkmoth. Has to fight off the poisonous darkness.

But once _that_ man gets his claws in you once, it’s hard to get out of his hold. Like an old ex that remembers where you live and what your car looks like, and all your old haunts.

Nathaniel doesn’t want to be forced to turn into an Akuma. He never wanted to be evil. Yes, his powers were strong and versatile, and his villain form was apparently one of the ones closest to defeating the heroes, all born from his creative mind. But he never truly had the heart to hurt people.

The redhead ducks into another alleyway, hiding behind a pile of scrap metal and trash bags next to a dumpster. Over him hangs a half-broken fire escape, which is dangerous, but provides him cover from above. He presses himself flat against the cold brick, makes himself small, a hand on his chest as he tries to calm his breathing.

The purple is crawling down his wrists, coloring the bottoms of his palms and still spreading. Fuck.

“ _Breathe, Nath, just breath. In, out_ ,” he instructs himself in his mind. “ _Calm down. Calm down, and you might be able to fight it off. Just like the other times_.”

He has to try to buy himself time. That gives him a higher chance of being saved by the heroes.

“You know, you should stop running and hiding…!” he hears Reverser call. He breathes slowly, quietly, trying to make it from shaking and turning loud. “Just embrace it, already!”

Nathaniel stands stock-still, all his limbs locked in place. His heart beats like a war drum in his chest, fueled by fear and a small flame of arousal.

Reverser’s a newer Akuma, only appeared a few months ago. He’s also been an Akuma Nathaniel has seen much too often recently.

Reverser has been hunting him down a lot, as of late. Like, specifically going after him every time he appears. Nathaniel’s both a little flattered, and a lot terrified. Sure, Hawkmoth wanting his services again as an Akuma makes sense, but did he have to send someone so gung-ho and ridiculously hot to go about it…?

“Nathanieeeeeel? Where aaaare youuuuu?” Reverser croons, almost playfully, the voice coming from above him. Right, the other’s on a glider.

So long as he doesn’t look right under him, he won’t see Nathaniel. The redhead bites his lip and crosses his fingers, body trembling slightly from the adrenaline.

God damn it. Reverser’s been appearing so often lately, the heroes have had a harder time keeping up. Last time, Nathaniel had to literally outrun the Akuma and lose him completely. Ladybug and Chat Noir ended up fighting the villain minutes later, but if Nathaniel hadn’t escaped…

Help might not be coming. The thought is daunting.

“Come now, I can’t have lost you _already_ ,” the monochrome Akuma laughs. There’s a loud rustling of paper, followed by the clicks of the other’s boots on the cobblestone. “I saw you duck down here. You may be good at running, but you can’t outrun my glider for long, darling…”

A shiver works down the redhead’s spine at the casual, drawled-out pet name. Fuck. Why did Reverser have to be so _hot_? It was unfair. And he was always trying to flirt with him, during their sick little game of cat and mouse. It was terrifyingly attractive. Nathaniel brings a hand up carefully to press against his mouth, so he won’t accidentally pant loudly into the air.

“Why fight it? Why fight the power Hawkmoth gives you?” Reverser asks, as he steps closer and closer to Nathaniel’s hiding place. “He gives us the chance to live as our better selves! Confident and powerful, assured forces of nature…! Don’t you find it _delightful_?”

No. No, he doesn’t, Nathaniel thinks to himself. He never wanted to be a villain. He just wanted someone to love him, to appreciate him. And then Hawkmoth twisted those desires, forced him into an Akuma, then never unhooked his nails from Nathaniel’s psyche. Even four years later, and the terrorist’s shadow still looms over him.

Nathaniel’s had to go to therapy and take _so_ much medicine because of Hawkmoth. Fuck him. Nathaniel was trying to better himself and be a good person, and Hawkmoth just wouldn’t let it _go_ , let him _live his life_.

He was a fucking _teenager_ when the bastard got his claws in Nathaniel’s mind the first time. He may not be that much removed from being a teen now, still just nineteen, but he’d like some bodily autonomy thank-you-very-much.

“Hawkmoth gives you the strength to live out all of your desires. He lets you be free! Why won’t you join me?” Reverser goes on. Nathaniel would think it the ravings of a madman or a worshipper, but the others’ voice isn’t worshipful or deranged. In fact, it’s almost…coaxing.

He’s trying to convince Nathaniel to leave his hiding spot.

Not happening.

“Aren’t you tired of trying to fit into society? Don’t you want the freedom to take things you want, things you know you’ll never have in your normal life?”

Alright, now this guy is sounding disturbingly like an incel. The redhead grimaces, his hard-on instantly dying in his jeans.

And then Reverser’s split, two-toned face appears in front of Nathaniel, looking between the bars of the broken fire escape, smile bright and toothy. “Aha! Found you~!”

Nathaniel squeaks, when the other reaches a hand in and yanks him forwards. He nearly gets brained against the metal of the fire escape, stumbling, but then he’s being lifted off the ground and cocooned.

Fuck. He’d forgotten about Reverser’s glider. How stupid and careless of him.

The villain hums, smirking and twirling a finger in the air, essentially conducting the glider. “Alright, easy now, no struggling. Don’t want to hurt yourself, now, do you?”

Nathaniel’s blood thrums in his veins, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. He was absolutely _fucked_ right now.

* * *

Reverser guides his bound form a little down the alleyway, away from his cluttered hiding spot. And then the paper was unravelling, Reverser grabbing Nathaniel’s shoulders before he could escape, all but slamming him against the wall.

“You know, I admire you a lot,” Reverser says casually, as he bodily pins Nathaniel against the brick. “You’re both hot and talented as a civilian, and hot and talented as a villain.” He laughs, something low and pleased. “Not many can say the same thing.”

“Then you obviously haven’t met Silencer,” Nathaniel says, to buy himself time. He glances around himself. The glider is cocooning them both, providing an extra way to keep him in place, and his hands are now fully purple. Fuck. He’s getting close to being transformed into Evillustrator.

“Sort of hard to tell how hot he is with that helmet he wears, don’t you think?” Reverser asks playfully.

“Well, his fingers can more than make up for that, and so can his ability.”

“Oh? And you didn’t invite me?” Reverser purrs, pressing himself even closer against Nathaniel’s body. The redhead’s breath hitches, heat pooling in his gut and feeling a stirring in his jeans. “Though I’m sure one can’t ever get caught in the act with his abilities. Very convenient. I’m a little jealous.”

With the tight way he smiles sharply, and how his voice goes low and a bit peeved, yeah. Those words are probably true.

And Nathaniel decides to provoke the villain, because hey, he might as well try. Maybe an angry Reverser will slip up, and Nathaniel can use that opportunity to escape?

“You _should_ be jealous. What can _you_ do, give me papercuts?” the redhead says with a little laugh, breathless and jittery.

Reverser’s coal eyes go dark, a stormy expression on his face and a snarl on his coal-black lips. “Oh, I can do more than that.”

Nathaniel shuts his eyes and waits for Reverser to—well, he’s not sure, exactly. Slit his throat with a paper airplane? Hang him off a roof from his glider and drop him?

What the artist doesn’t expect is for the villain to slip his knee between Nathaniel’s thighs and press _hard_ , bucking his hips.

The redhead stutters out a gasp, eyes flying back open when Reverser grinds his knee against Nathaniel’s crotch again. He feels his cock twitch and swell, his skinny jeans oh-so-tight, as the villain keeps rock his hips against him.

“I want you,” Reverser growls lowly, eyes dark in what Nathaniel realizes is anger and lust. “I wanted you for so long, but _Silencer_? Couffaine doesn’t _deserve_ to make you scream for him, have you begging for his cock.”

Oh. Oh fuck. This is so terrifying and so fucking hot, fuck—

“Does he even know what sort of beautiful art you make? The strokes of your pen against the page? Or does he only know the way your wrists flick when you stroke his cock?” the villain goes on hotly, Nathaniel finding himself shiver from the words and the way the other’s hot breath ghosts across his ear. “Your hands are gorgeous and are used for much better things than giving some two-bit rock star a hand job. Give yourself a little more credit.”

“W-What are you, my biggest fan?” Nathaniel finds himself saying, whining when Reverser shifts his hands to pin both of Nathaniel’s wrists above his head.

The villain stares intently down at him, carefully threading his unoccupied hand through Nathaniel’s loose hair. He stops to cup the artist’s cheek, startingly gentle as he rubs his thumb across the flesh.

“Yes,” Reverser says evenly, honestly. “I’ve watched your escapades for many years, Nathaniel Kurtzberg. Yours and Evillustrator’s. You fascinate me. You _inspire_ me.”

Oh, fuck.

Fuck. Shit. That explains Reverser’s obsession a bit _too_ well.

“I’ve always wanted you…But I could never have you…,” Reverser says quietly, voice rumbling, as he leans in close. He stops just a few inches away from Nathaniel’s lips, which are open as he pants, wild and rapid. “Until now.”

The artist’s blood pumps in his veins, and his heart beats quick, his cock aching in his jeans and twitching against Reverser’s knee. He feels like clawing out of his own skin, feels like his entire body is on fire—

Reverser’s coal-dark eyes stare into the artist’s blues. “You deserve someone that appreciates you. Won’t you join me?”

That sweet, low croon is all it takes. Nathaniel gasps, and his skin glows.

* * *

Reverser looks into Evillustrator’s dark blue eyes, which are wide and wild and confused.

The monochrome Akuma finds himself smiling, a knife-edge smile with a bit of bitterness.

His job from Hawkmoth was to transform Nathaniel Kurtzberg back into Evillustrator, force him to embrace the man’s influence.

Reverser had never managed before, after so many months of trying. Nathaniel was a slippery one, quick on his feet and quick-witted, with a surprising amount of control over his body and feelings. A strong will, and rather noble, to be able to fight off Hawkmoth’s alluring darkness for so long.

But now Reverser’s actually done it. He’s turned Nathaniel into his Akuma form.

There was no need to keep spilling his heart out, keep trying to get Nathaniel riled up, perhaps even convince him to join Reverser willingly.

The monochrome Akuma carefully lets the others’ wrists go, and steps away, stopping from boxing his fellow villain against the wall.

“Forgive my rough manhandling, Evillustrator, but it was necessary to transform you,” Reverser says lightly, offering his hand. “I’m Reverser, your new partner in crime.”

The other Akuma blinks back at him, staring. He’s about an inch taller than his civilian form, red hair windswept and tipped with purple, eyes a darker blue than Nathaniel’s. And of course, sporting lavender skin. But other than that, there wasn’t much of a difference between the Akuma and the civilian. They were both equally and modestly handsome.

After a long few seconds, Evillustrator finally nods slowly, seemingly re-orienting himself. He reaches out and shakes Reverser’s hand. “Ah, I see…It’s nice to meet you, Reverser.”

The monochrome man finds himself laughing and retracting his hand, the cracks in his heart widening.

Of course Evillustrator wouldn’t remember him. Remember the last few minutes. Of _course_.

“I’ve never had a partner before,” the art-based Akuma muses, with a smile, twirling the pen in his hand that served as part of his powers.

“No, I suppose you haven’t,” Reverser shrugs, keeping his voice even and professional. He turns, gesturing with his head out of the alleyway and steps away. “We should get going.”

“Already?” Evillustrator asks, with a bit of a pout. “And after just being transformed as well…”

“Boss’s orders. You know how he is,” the monochrome Akuma shrugs.

The other gives a little huff, drawing something quickly on the tablet attached to his arm. Then he’s stepping forwards and getting on one knee, presenting a…rose to Reverser.

“Well, I’m happy to have you by my side, partner,” the purple-skinned man says charmingly, with a crooked grin and kind eyes. “I wish I had more time to observe you before we start, or maybe take you out to a nice dinner, but we’ve no time for that.”

Reverser finds his face warming, startled and flustered in equal halves. This…This wasn’t something he’d predicted.

“Um…Thank you,” he manages to say, reaching out slowly and taking the rose. Their hands brush when he does, and he feels his heart jolt.

Evillustrator gets out of his kneel, eyes still kind, expression soft. “Shall we go now?”

“Y-Yeah,” Reverser nods, before clearing his throat. He shouldn’t show he was flustered, damn it. He’s supposed to be strong and in-control, not melting over one romantic gesture. “Ah, yes. Let’s go. Time is of the essence.”

* * *

Evillustrator doesn’t end up sticking around for very long, Reverser soon finds.

They were currently engaged with Ladybug and Chat Noir in a fight, and things were going smoothly. Reverser used his paper abilities to cover for Evillustrator, so the art-based Akuma had time to draw weapons into existence. And those weapons could help cover Reverser, to displace the heroes and lessen the amount of shot-puts Ladybug would make at Reverser on his glider.

They worked very well together. Covering each other’s weak points, Reverser in the air and Evillustrator on the ground, defense and offense.

But then a young woman runs into the fray at them, fury in her voice and in her blue eyes, hair a wild and untamed pink mop. “NATHANIEL KURTZBERG, YOU BETTER FIGHT HAWKMOTH’S INFLUENCE RIGHT FUCKING NOW, OR _SO HELP ME GOD_ —”

The next few seconds, Evillustrator was clutching at his head, skin glowing.

Reverser sighs in annoyance when he sees Evillustrator melt away to Nathaniel once more. “Damn it.”

He leaves before Chat Noir and Ladybug can kick his ass again. He’s already failed in his job once; no need to fail it again.

* * *

Nathaniel hates the fact that he was Akumatized again.

At the same time…It causes him to think. Think about Reverser. Specifically, about what Reverser had said to him.

It could be that the Akuma was just straight-up lying to him, about…Everything. But the intimacy of their last interaction, the way the villain was on the very edge of ravishing him, had all but confessed to Nathaniel that he admired him for years…

Look, Nathaniel wasn’t into stalkers or anything. But the fact that someone that wasn’t a friend or classmate was out there, and supported Nathaniel and his art for years? That…That actually meant something, to him?

People don’t notice Nathaniel. They notice his art more, because it’s bold and dynamic, and everything Nathaniel isn’t. But other than retweets and commissions, and the occasional livestream, he doesn’t really interact with people that like his work. Yes, he has his regulars—like one in particular named Rainbowrites that was very sweet and always left little comments about what they liked for every single thing Nathaniel uploads. But it was just…different. Meeting someone physically, who tells him to his face that they admire him.

It’s almost _flattering_ that Reverser is so intent on him. It shouldn’t be. Reverser was a fucking Akuma, for crying out loud!

But Nathaniel also knows that Hawkmoth’s powers are based on his victim’s emotions. The supervillain takes and twists the emotions that are already there as a basis. That means that Reverser truly _did_ admire him, if his laser-like focus and attraction was any indication. Liked him so strongly as a civilian, it would forever color and influence his Akuma form.

Not to mention the offended and almost _protective_ way he responded when Nathaniel implied that he was getting down with Luka…Telling him that he was better than giving hand jobs to a rock star…

It was surprisingly one of the sweetest things anyone has ever told him? Strangely enough?

The artist groans, threading a hand through his hair and staring down at the sketchbook page full of Reverser drawings. The villain’s face, smirking and giving bedroom eyes, the intensity of his gaze, his face softened in those moments when he gently took Nathaniel’s face in his hand…Those coal-dark eyes, which held so much emotion…

Fuck. He actually kinda, maybe, liked the bastard. The villain that’s been dogging his footsteps for the past few months.

The artist leans own and lays his head on the desk with a yell of frustration. Fucking _damn_ it. He _hated_ being such a disaster bisexual.

One hot guy comes around that could snap his spine over his knee and says a few semi-nice things, while also trying to make Nathaniel literally cream his pants, and Nathaniel was like a gooey puddle.

What has his life come to…? Ugh. He’s sure as hell _not_ going to be posting any of these Reverser drawings to his social media any time soon…No need to disappoint and concern his followers. If he ever does anything to stop Rainbowrites’ support, Nathaniel might just delete all his art off the face of the planet in shame.

* * *

What the fuck even is his life…?

“Are you into bondage or something?” Nathaniel finds himself asking dryly, when he’s wrapped up in Reverser’s glider. Again.

He keeps his voice flat to hide how excited he feels, hide the shock that zings down his spine and the way his heart beats in double-time. He knows he shouldn’t feel thrilled and turned on, but, well. He is. His dick hardening in his skinny jeans is proof enough.

The Akuma smirks back at him, like the ridiculously smug and attractive bastard he is. “I could be. You into that?”

“I’m into not being threatened and kidnapped, thanks.”

“Things would be much easier if you just gave in,” Reverser croons, lightly trailing a finger down Nathaniel’s jaw, and the artist has to fight down a full-body shiver at the motion. Then the villain was grabbing his chin with a thumb and forefinger, leaning in close with piercing bedroom eyes locked on his. “Embrace the power, darling.”

Nathaniel sighs, letting his head thunk back against the wall. “This isn’t _fair_. You’re too hot. Fuck.”

This apparently takes the other off-guard, if the way his eyebrows raise to nearly his hairline is any indication. The artist attempts to wriggle out of the glider and, nope. Still a tight squeeze.

But then a smirk was replacing that stunned expression. “Are you falling for me, then, Nathaniel?” the villain purrs with a leer.

“Hell no,” Nathaniel says instantly, you know. Like a liar. “But, like. I can appreciate it when someone’s hot, can’t I?”

Reverser grins, wide and toothy. “Oh, appreciation is always nice…Why don’t I show you mine…?”

The Akuma unravels his glider, pressing Nathaniel against the dirty wall. The artist finds his body warming, heart thrumming, which is definitely _not_ helping him fight the poison in his heart.

But, _fuck_ , was Reverser hot. And it’s been so long since he’s been intimate with another person…

Reverser slots his knee between Nathaniel’s thighs, bucking his hips, like the last time. But unlike last time, Nathaniel lets himself moan and buck his hips back, leaning up to start sucking on the other’s neck.

He feels the pulse thrumming rabbit-quick under his lips, feels it when the villain gulps thickly. Reverser has stopped, entire body taut like a bowstring and frozen in place, completely stock-still.

Nathaniel bucks his hips again and moans against the other’s neck.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to show me your _appreciation_ before?” the redhead finds himself asking, just a little cheeky and a lot horny.

When he pulls back, Reverser has an almost dazed expression on his face. The expression falls away to something intent and heated, coal eyes dark, pupils and iris nearly blending in color from the others’ arousal.

“Oh, I’ll show my appreciation alright,” the villain growls, letting Nathaniel’s hands go to grip tightly at his hips instead.

Nathaniel could probably use his free hands for something useful, like maybe punching Reverser so he can get away. But he quickly finds that he _doesn’t_ want to get away. So instead, he just scrambles to grab onto the Akuma’s shoulders when Reverser grinds their hips together.

“Shit…!” the artist finds himself gasping, his back pressed flush against the wall, the other grinding deliciously against him. And then Reverser was leaning down, lips crashing against his, all but devouring him with his mouth.

Nathaniel finds himself moaning and whimpering, the sounds muffled by the other man’s lips, swallowed by Reverser’s tongue.

When the two part for breath, he’s pretty much forgotten that he was fighting off Hawkmoth’s influence.

* * *

Reverser stares back at Evillustrator.

Fuck. He sort of wishes he hadn’t had the job of turning Nathaniel into an Akuma, because the redhead literally transforming in the middle of their hot grinding session was…awkward and a bit of a boner-killer, to say the least.

Not that Evillustrator was bad-looking or anything, far from it. It just. Made things supremely awkward to explain away.

So instead of explaining, Reverser quickly detaches himself from a dazed-looking Evillustrator, pretending like he hadn’t pinned the other against the wall and was humping him two seconds earlier, while he was a civilian.

“N-No time to waste,” he manages to say, a little choked.

Evillustrator follows without a word, his cheeks a darker purple than his skin tone.

* * *

Morally, was it wrong to find an Akuma hot? Probably not. Some Akuma had very attractive-looking designs.

Morally, was it wrong to hook up with an Akuma? Well. Probably.

Morally, was it wrong to fight down Hawkmoth’s evil influence solely so a certain Akuma would chase him down and take him against an alley wall? Definitely.

Nathaniel was _really_ hoping third time was the charm. It’s wrong to want to fuck one of his fans, and it’s wrong to want to fuck an Akuma, and it’s doubly wrong to want to fuck an Akuma that’s his biggest fan. But Reverser was the hottest man Nathaniel’s ever interacted with, and he was lonely and horny and maybe lost control of his life, a little.

If Alix knew what his plans were, she’d be screaming his ear off and locking him in a psych ward. Thankfully, she’s more worried about him getting re-Akumatized lately than she is suspicious of his growing intent attention of Reverser.

Nathaniel has had at least five different wet dreams since the last time him and Reverser had a rendezvous. He was beating it in the shower so often, he was half-afraid he would clog up the drain. Nathaniel was living on a constant low level of horniness, wondering when Hawkmoth would decide to strike, and thus, when Reverser would appear to literally sweep him off his feet.

So the next time Hawkmoth’s poison starts to thrum in his heart, Nathaniel finds his heart singing.

The way Reverser chases him this time seems more playful than anything. The redhead puts up a token effort, of course, keeps running and weaving through streets. But when he leans against an alleyway wall—always an alleyway, he’s starting to find the running theme—he feels a warm body pressed against his back, hand gripping his hips.

“I’ve caught you, darling,” the Akuma croons, and the artist shivers, a pleasant heat coiling low in his gut. “My, my, are you losing your touch?”

“Too distracted,” Nathaniel admits, squirming in the other’s hold. Reverser very politely doesn’t press his face against the dirty brick, instead turning Nathaniel around so his back was against it. “Can you fuck me? Or is that off the table?”

Reverser’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline, coal eyes wide. “I…What?”

“Fuck me,” Nathaniel re-iterates, before quickly adding, “Please? I’ve been wanting your cock for _days_ now. Haven’t stopped thinking about it.” He squirms a little, pressing up against the other’s knee so Reverser can feel how hard he already is.

The monochrome man frowns at him, taking his chin between his fingers and tilting Nathaniel’s head to and fro. Coal eyes meet blue, as he stares back at Nathaniel intently, almost searchingly.

“You’re acting like I hit you with one of my airplanes, yet I never did,” the villain mutters to himself, loud enough for Nathaniel to hear every word. “So strange…what a complete one-eighty…”

“Uhhhh, hello? I kissed you last time?” the redhead reminds with a roll of his eyes. “Listen, I’m horny. You’re hot and could kill me a dozen ways without breaking a sweat, but you like me for whatever reason. I think it’s a good and logical arrangement.”

Reverser stares back at him blankly, before slowly asking, “You actually want this…?”

“Yes. It’s weird you’re asking for my consent _now_ , considering you didn’t do that the first time, but—”

A guilty look fills the other’s bi-colored face as he says, “Oh. Yes, you’re right. Sorry about that, that was…heinous of me.”

The redhead squints back, a little incredulous. “Dude. You’re a _villain_.”

“Maybe so, but I have _standards_ ,” Reverser sighs, letting go of Nathaniel’s face. “And I also can’t believe that someone I’ve wanted for so long is just…throwing himself at me.”

Oh. That’s…actually very charming. And kind of cute. And Nathaniel _definitely_ has low standards, but a man that can apologize and make strides towards bettering himself? That’s _ridiculously_ attractive.

“Again, you’re hot, and I’m horny. But like. Times ten,” Nathaniel finds himself laughing. He presses against the other’s lithe body, smiling up at him through his lashes. “So…? You up for it? Not like there’s any other way you’ll get me to transform…”

The monochrome man sighs, but his grip on Nathaniel’s hips tightens, and he slowly rolls his hips against the other. “Yes, alright. But if you transform in the middle of this, I _will_ scream.”

* * *

Reverser ends up nearly screaming in frustration, when Nathaniel transforms into Evillustrator right after the two hit their orgasm.

Their cocks were still warm and hard in Reverser’s hand, their mingled cum hot and slick against his palm’s skin. He quickly lets them go, wiping his hand against a piece of his paper and attempting to tuck himself back in his costume, face aflame.

After a few seconds, Evillustrator is also tucking himself back into his costume, though he seems to be struggling with it since he’s wearing tights. He looks bewildered, and his entire face is a dark purple.

“Reverser, are we…?” the art-based Akuma asks, tentative and flustered. Reverser very pointedly doesn’t look at him.

“We’re partners,” he manages to grind out, heart thrumming in double-time.

“R-Right…” the other says, awkwardly clearing his throat. “W-Would you like some hand sanitizer or tissues?”

“…Please.”

* * *

“It kind of sucks that you can’t rail me properly,” Nathaniel sighs, draping himself across Reverser’s front the next time they meet, embracing him in a loose hug with his arms hooked around the other’s neck. “I barely got to nut, and then I black out and get Akumatized. Not fun.”

“It’s even worse when I have to deal with your Akuma self, and both our dicks are out,” Reverser deadpans.

Nathaniel howls against the other’s chest. “Ha…! Hahaha! Fuck, that _hilarious_!”

“Shut up,” the Akuma huffs with a scowl.

The redhead smirks back, leaning in close and looking straight in his eye, drawling out, “Make me.”

Reverser narrows his eyes, grabbing onto Nathaniel’s chin and saying in a low voice, “I know of a better way to use that filthy little mouth of yours. Why don’t you fill it with my cock instead?”

The artist smirks back, pleased. “Yessir.”

He unwraps his arms from the other’s neck, teasingly trailing a palm down the other’s front, before he’s dropping to his knees in front of the villain.

He grips Reverser’s hips, lifting the front flap of his tunic with a thumb. He hums and buries his face in the other’s crotch, nudging the bulge tenting the front of the villain’s pants with his nose. He hears Reverser’s breath hissing out of his teeth, feels the villain card his hands through Nathaniel’s hair.

“We don’t have much time,” the villain grits out, curt. “Get on with it.”

“Pushy, pushy,” Nathaniel teases, but his hands are already working to get Reverser’s cock out of his pants. He can try and play coy, but he’s ridiculously turned on and wants to get to the main event himself. The fact that time is of the essence just makes it hotter.

Reverser’s dick is split black and white down the middle, like some sort of art-deco dildo. Nathaniel giggles. This is the first time observing the member, their last rendezvous too hazy for him to really remember much. Reverser had taken them both in his hand and jacked them off, so that didn’t exactly require much finesse or need to look at the other’s cock.

The redhead leans in and gives an experimental lick. Reverser grunts and tightens his fingers in Nathaniel’s hair in response.

“What color’s your cum, anyways?” Nathaniel asks, just to be an annoying little shit, as he tastes the salt of Reverser’s pre on his tongue.

“White. What other color would it be?” Reverser snaps, tugging at Nathaniel’s hair. “Less talking, more sucking.”

The artist lets out a moan, hand fumbling as he strokes base of Reverser’s cock. “A-alright, alright, don’t t get bitchy on me now.”

“I’m not getting _bitchy_ —” Reverser snarls, voice stuttering out into a gasp when Nathaniel starts sucking on the head of his cock. “O _-Oh_ , there we are…Hah…”

Nathaniel tongues the other’s tip, letting his drool pool in his mouth and drip down the other’s duo-colored length and slick it up. His hand moves down to fondle the other’s balls as he starts sucking.

“Marvelous… You’re certainly not a novice at this,” Reverser breathes, hand tight in Nathaniel’s hair, like he likes it. “Just how many cocks have you sucked, Nathaniel?”

The artist hums, letting it reverberate against the other’s cock, and the villain pants. He pops off the member, a trail of spit connecting his mouth to the glistening tip, and grins up at the villain through his lashes.

“Enough,” he says lowly, pumping Reverser from the base. “But it helps that I don’t have a gag reflex.”

“You don’t have a— _Ah_!” the Akuma gasps, when Nathaniel swallows him down in one motion, burying his nose in the other’s pelvis. “Ohhhh _fuck_ , darling, I wish I’d known this sooner. I would’ve made you suck my cock the first moment I had.”

Nathaniel simply hums in response, lips wrapped tight around the throbbing member, letting the vibrations envelop the cock in his mouth. The villain moans lowly and bucks his hips into his waiting heat. Nathaniel doesn’t choke, casually bobbing his head, each pass of his mouth taking the other’s cock from tip to base.

He feels his own cock stirring in his jeans as Reverser tugs on his hair and bucks his hips, fucking into Nathaniel’s mouth, a string of curses and half-bitten moans spilling from his black-painted lips.

Fuck, this was too hot. He loved giving head, and loved it when his partner went crazy over how he could swallow their cock easily.

He bobs his head faster, feels Reverser’s cock sliding down the back of his throat in rough movements, drunk off the feeling of his mouth being fucked and his hair being pulled. Goddamn, did he love it. It really has been too long since he last did this…

It seemed to take no time at all before Reverser was coming in his mouth, Nathaniel moaning and swallowing the other’s hot load, almost choking by the sudden gush of liquid sliding down his throat.

He pulls off of Reverser’s cock, feeling the bliss of swallowing a big, hot load of cum. He pants, blood singing in his veins and his own erection stirring and weeping in his painfully-tight skinny jeans.

And then he blacks out.

* * *

Reverser wants to tear his hair out, when Nathaniel transforms into Evillustrator, still on his knees in front of Reverser’s softening cock.

Thankfully, the civilian had made sure to swallow the other man’s cum quickly. Not so thankfully, his Akuma partner was staring at Reverser’s dick like a spooked child accidentally stumbling across pornography for the first time.

Reverser tucks himself back into his costume, and then offers the other Akuma his hand, very purposefully not looking at the other while doing so.

“Sorry. Your knees might hurt a bit,” he mutters, painfully awkward and ridiculously guilty.

It’s no surprise they lose quickly against Ladybug and Chat Noir ten minutes later, both completely off their game and unable to really look at one another, much less coordinate in their attacks. Reverser feels like he’s a dog running away with his tail between his legs, so he doesn’t get caught by the heroes, Nathaniel’s disappointed stare drilling in his back.

* * *


	2. Nineteen and on Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the confusing fuckery of the MarcNath love square begin! Juggling four different variations of the same pairing is so much fun. 
> 
> Warnings: social media stalking, hostage situations, public sex, forced voyeurism, anxiety, depression, slightly dubious consent because of Akumatization mechanics.

* * *

Nathaniel posts one drawing of Reverser on his social media, because he’s been drawing the villain non-stop for the past few weeks, and he has to post _something_ to show he’s not dead.

It’s his best drawing of Reverser that he posts, too. Something with Reverser on his glider with the poise of a hunter, coal eyes bright and a smiling snarl on his face. Fully colored and everything.

The likes and comments start to flood in. Probably because of his lack of posts, coupled with the fact that Nathaniel has been getting Akumatized all over again. He gets questions over his wellbeing, alongside questions of what he and Reverser are to each other, and requests for drawings of the both of them together.

He also gets some threats from dumbasses that don’t know anything of his art, and believe he’s some villain that’s getting Akumatized on purpose, or someone profiting off of Akuma. He blocks those fuckers, because even a simple look at his about page and FAQ will tell him everything they need to know about his art and Mightillustrator.

He’s a little relieved to see Rainbowrites leave a comment. It’s a long and gushing comment, which started with, “ _I’m so glad you’re okay! You weren’t posting very much lately, and coupled with the news reports, I was starting to get worried_ ”. Rainbowrites then goes on to compliment his anatomy, dynamism, and accuracy, among other things. It’s pretty much a novel of a comment, pointing out so many little details. The artist feels validated.

Then his greatest supporter adds a separate comment. “ _Reminder to everyone: Mightillustrator and Evillustrator are completely different entities. Nathaniel Kurtzberg is not asking to be Akumatized. He created Mightillustrator to reclaim that part of him. He’s under no obligation to answer any of your insensitive comments and questions_.”

Nathaniel smiles, heart warm at the protective support and eyes burning slightly. He highlights the reply, re-posting it to his main page and pinning it to the top. Then sends a DM to Rainbowrites that simply says, “ _Thank you. Your constant and steady support means a lot, especially right now.”_ He wanted to say more, but there’s so many emotions he feels, and it’s all hard to put into words. He doesn’t want to overwhelm his supporter, either.

Rainbowrites replies with, “ _Of course! I’m glad to support you all this time! Your work is amazing <3_”. Nathaniel bites his lip and giggles, face warm, a wide grin on his lips.

Wow. That’s too sweet.

The artist wonders what Rainbowrites is like, in real life…And wonders how things would be different if he’d fallen for the kind fan instead of Reverser…

But it’s too late for that. He’s already fucking smitten with the monochrome bastard.

* * *

Marc sighs dreamily as he stares once again at the latest drawing Nathaniel’s posted. At the gorgeously-crafted image of Reverser, of _him_ , in a way.

It makes sense that Nathaniel’s drawn Reverser, considering all that’s happening with him being Akumatized again alongside Marc’s Akuma self. He’s probably either inspired, or trying to use art to work through his feelings on the situation, just like the original purpose with Mightillustrator.

It’s probably, definitely, wrong for Marc to feel so utterly wooed by the drawing. It’s not like Nathaniel knows him, after all. Knows that the person who is essentially Reverser is looking at his art, has seen this drawing.

Still…

Marc gushes. He gushes and he flips and leaves an essay of a comment, completely un-restrained. And then he goes to defend Nathaniel, because so many people are leaving such awful comments on the newest drawing and on his page, people that are shallow and don’t even bother to read his basic FAQ.

Then he opens his DM’s, and his heart stops.

It’s a message from Nathaniel Kurtzberg himself. “ _Thank you. Your constant and steady support means a lot, especially right now.”_

Marc throws himself face down on his pillow, squealing into the material. And then he double-checks his phone, rereading the message half a dozen times, giggling and smiling like a fool, rolling on his back.

Chest bubbling with giddy joy and fondness, he doesn’t stop himself from writing, “ _Of course! I’m glad to support you all this time! Your work is amazing <3_”.

And then he realizes just what he wrote back, when the message has already been sent. He can’t take it back.

Marc shrieks like a feral cockatoo, throwing himself off his bed and does a spastic little half-dance half-jog in place, completely panicking. Oh God, he’s so fucking weird and creepy and smitten and such a _stalker_. What if Nathaniel messages back and calls him a freak, or, or—

Oh, but he was so sweet…! He messaged Marc to thank him privately! The vulnerability, and the way he drew Reverser so breathtakingly, and, and—

Marc feels his vision darken, and lets himself be pulled under by his obsession and Hawkmoth’s dizzying power.

* * *

Reverser ignores the screaming of civilians around him as he stomps into the diner, dragging Nathaniel in, who’s held in a headlock for propriety’s sake. Have to keep up the illusion that he’s the villain and the artist is his hostage, after all.

“Table for two,” he snarls, watching as the waitress looks ready to bursts into tears then and there, but stiffly walks them to a booth without letting a single tear fall.

“Order whatever you want,” he grunts, letting Nathaniel go from the Hostage Headlock, but keeping an arm draped around his shoulders. A warning and a way to show everything that Nathaniel is _his_. “Consider this your wine-and-dine.”

The redhead stares back at him, blue eyes wide and face pink. He looks…adorable. Reverser is half-tempted to kiss him then and there, a surge of fondness welling within him.

The villain is shocked when the artist’s skin glows without preamble, Evillustrator blinking back at him.

The art-based Akuma looks at Reverser, then at his surroundings, then at Reverser’s arm draped around his shoulders. Reverser stiffens in his seat, frozen and unable to decide if he should drop his arm or not.

The other man simply chuckles, cheeks dark as he smiles at Reverser. “Well, I suppose this makes up for the dinner I promised you and never gave you.”

They don’t get to do much but drink some coffee and eat a platter of appetizers before the heroes show up, but Evillustrator is beaming all the while and looking like someone who’s been taken on a date to a five-star restaurant.

The Akuma duo manage to escape the battle before either one gets too badly beaten, and before they part and de-transform back, Evillustrator grabs Reverser’s hand and gives him a peck on the cheek.

“I was going to joke that you should take me out to dinner first, before we go any further. I’d also would have said that I like to romance my significant other with far more dates, before I’d think of proposing any sexual activity,” the purple-skinned man chuckles warmly. “But I see you’re putting in a genuine effort. So I’d like to offer that if I transform in the middle of whatever rendezvous you may have with civilian me…we can pick it up from there.”

“Oh,” Reverser chokes out, his eyes wide and face warm. “Ah…Alright. Thank you. I—You’re very admirable, and I’m honestly shocked that you’re agreeing to this.”

Evillustrator smiles with all his teeth as he declares, “I’m doing this because I trust you, and you’re a great partner. Though admittedly, I’m also doing this because you’re powerful and competent and absolutely gorgeous, which are all traits I admire in a romantic partner.”

Fuck. What the _fuck_.

The other Akuma laughs, loud and bright, throwing his head back and baring his neck.

“I’m also more than curious and a little jealous, that the other me is able to feel and taste what your cock is like,” Evillustrator says with a wink and flushed cheeks.

* * *

Evillustrator can’t help but consider Reverser’s flustered expression and sputtering to be exceedingly charming.

The other’s skin glows, and soon enough, there’s just a delicately pretty young man with dark hair and green eyes standing in front of him, where he partner last stood.

Reverser’s civilian self is recognizable to him. The same heart-shaped face, with the same lithe frame and stature. The same messy hair and the same expressive eyes, no matter their different coloring. However, instead of power and confidence, there is only vulnerability in this young man, vulnerability that Evillustrator only sees when Reverser is flustered by the aftereffects of whatever rendezvous he’d had with Evillustrator’s civilian form.

The art-based Akuma steps back, drawing quickly on his tablet. Once he has the item he needs, he gets on one knee and presents the rose to the confused civilian.

“I’m afraid I must leave before I transform as well,” he starts, with a crooked smile, “but I’d thought it tragic if a gorgeous flower like you didn’t have another to keep you company.”

The young man squeaks, his cheeks flushing beet red as Evillustrator gently places the rose in his fingers.

And then he was running away, not wanting to see his partner in such a vulnerable state for any longer.

* * *

Nathaniel moans wildly, hands scrabbling against the dirty wall, as Reverser fucks him from behind.

The Akuma’s fingers are tight against the swell of his hips, hips snapping and pounding into Nathaniel’s ass. The sound of slapping flesh and Nathaniel’s unfiltered moans is hot and loud in the night air.

To anyone that happens to pass by, they’d just think it was two horny gay men going at it. But to Nathaniel, he knows the extra layer of his partner being a literal villain.

It’s all the hotter, like this. A villain who was obsessed with him, mounting him and fucking him hard and fast in a dirty alleyway, where anyone could pass by and see them. Where at any point, Nathaniel could be transformed into his Akuma self, completely unknowing of what happens next. Maybe getting transformed before he can even come, only his Akuma form knowing the pleasure of that release, Nathaniel left with just the remnants and the dirty dreams of how exactly it feels to have Reverser fucking him with reckless abandon like an animal in heat.

“You like that, darling? Like it when I fuck you from behind like this?” Reverser pants hotly in his ear, and Nathaniel gives his agreement in a stuttered moan.

“Y-yes, yes, _yes_ , fuck, fuck me, _ahn_ ,” the artists manages to get out, between his pants and moans and drooling. The heat in his stomach is overwhelming, and soon enough he’s coming, splattering the brick wall with his sticky-hot cum. “Haaaaaah!”

He moans, long and loud, and then blacks out completely.

* * *

Reverser groans when Nathaniel transforms, the Akuma stopping his hips from fucking into the other’s heat.

He’s polite, like that. Waiting for Evillustrator to notice his surroundings, to put himself together.

“Ah…Looks like we’re caught in an interesting situation,” the art-based Akuma chuckles, looking over his shoulder at Reverser with bright eyes. “It seems like other me managed to come. Have you?”

“No,” Reverser grits out, feeling his dick twitch in the others’ tight heat.

Evillustrator hums, an almost-moan, and he smiles impishly back at him. “I wouldn’t mind a round. And you need to find your release. Why don’t you finish in me? I’m sure I would suffice.”

“You’re more muscled, but your ass is more than good enough,” Reverser grits out, slowly starting up his previous pace, panting all the while as he builds back up to his peak. “ _Fuck_ , you feel so _amazing_.”

“I’d hope so, if you’re fucking me,” Evillustrator giggles, pushing back against Reverser’s forward thrusts, his cock digging deeper into the other’s hole. The other villain moans, throwing his head back, mouth agape. “A- _Anh_! Y-You really—really know how to adapt and give it your all.”

“I always give everything my all,” the monochrome man says, leaning over the other’s back to say in his ear, “and that includes fucking you until you’re screaming my name, just like what I’ve always imagined.”

The purple-skinned man whines, a high and strangled sound, voice breathless as he asks, “You’ve—you’ve th-thought of me before, like this?”

“I’ve admired you long before this. Both versions of you,” Reverser says, finding his face warming in embarrassment. Odd, how he’s embarrassed to admit this. Especially when he’s buried deep in the other’s heat, having him bent over and fucking him against an alley wall. “And that admiration includes fantasies of us fucking wildly.”

“Well, I’m certainly not complaining,” Evillustrator pants, squirming in Reverser’s hold and giving a keen. “The way how you stretch and fill me, the drag of your cock as you f-fuck into me, it all—it all feels _incredible_.”

Reverser feels his dick twitch, finding the other’s voiced pleasure stroke his pride a bit. So he grips the other Akuma’s hips tighter and picks up the pace, making sure each thrust hits the other’s prostrate.

Evillustrator gasps and moans and writhes, hips stuttering as he tries to bounce back against Reverser’s cock drilling into him. “ _Fuck_ …! Fuck, fuck, hah—”

“You like that? Like me fucking you hard and fast, bent over with your ass in the air and swallowing my cock so nicely?” he asks, snapping his hips in a steady pace, feeling the heat build and build.

“R-Reverser, I…hnnnngh…” the other Akuma says, before breaking out into a long and loud moan. “Ah! Fuck, fuck, you feel so _good…_!”

Reverser presses against the other’s back, thrusts turning short and quick and frantic. He worms his hand around the other’s torso, taking Evillustrator’s leaking member in his hand and pumping it along his thrusts. Hips and hand working furiously, he growls in the other’s ear, ordering, “Come for me, darling.”

“Rev _erser_ …!” the purple-skinned man _screams_ , mouth falling open wide and hips jerking as he splatters the brick wall with a second load of cum, clenching tight around the monochrome Akuma like a vice.

Reverser fucks into the others’ tight heat, finally finding his release, painting Evillustrator’s insides with his cum. His orgasm hits him like a sucker punch, having been edged and unable to come because of the others’ earlier transformation, only just now having his cock spurt its load into the tight and greedy hole encasing it.

* * *

Evillustrator groans and pants, leaning heavily against the dirty brick wall. He feels so _full_ , with Reverser’s cock in him alongside his hot load. His own dick twitches, still at half-mast and dribbling the last drops of cum from his orgasm.

In his post-orgasm euphoric haze, he hears a semi-familiar voice hiss in his mind, “ _Just what are you two doing?! I’ve given you my power to capture the Miraculous, not to fuck like rabbits in heat!_ ”

The purple-skinned man is unable to answer, mind filled with cotton. He feels Reverser shift behind him, lips pressed against the side of his neck, a keen spilling past his lips when Reverser slowly pulls out. He finds his hole fluttering and clenching, feels the others’ load trickle out.

“Beautiful,” Reverser rumbles, gently spreading his cheeks open. Evillustrator shivers, overstimulated and thrilled in equal halves, the slick sliding down his ass and between his balls.

“ _You’re supposed to find Ladybug and Chat Noir!_ ” Hawkmoth snaps loudly in his mind.

“Why should we? They’re already here,” Reverser says loudly with a laugh.

Evillustrator blinks dazedly, confused, before his instincts pulls his head upwards.

There, standing frozen on top of a roof and staring down at them with wide eyes, are Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“Can you give us five minutes to clean up?” Reverser calls up to the heroes, casual and completely unbothered. “You both took so long to show up, we got a little bored down here…!”

Evillustrator can’t help it. He giggles, noting the deeply embarrassed faces of Paris’ dynamic duo. Ladybug and Chat Noir’s faces are as red as Ladybug’s hero suit.

Ladybug clutches at Chat Noir’s arm, and squeaks out, “YEAHOKAYSURE—” dragging the leather-clad hero away from the edge of the roof with her.

“Did we just turn Ladybug and Chat Noir into voyeurs…?” the art-based Akuma asks with a laugh, looking over his shoulder.

His partner has a shit-eating grin on his face, coal eyes bright and teeth sharp in his mouth. “Well, it certainly seems so.”

“You’re terrible,” Evillustrator teases, fumbling for his pen and starting to draw a box of tissues on his tablet. “Now, here, help me clean up.”

“Of course,” Reverser says, taking the box and placing a quick kiss on his mouth, causing his heart to flutter wildly in his chest. “You did wonderfully, by the way.”

“Th-thank you,” the purple-skinned man stutters out, surprisingly flustered and shy. Somehow, the warm intimacy is more embarrassing than the fact that they just had sex and were caught doing it. He’s not sure why, but it _is_. “Y-you were amazing as well.”

“Oh, I know,” Reverser says playfully, a smug smirk on his face. “Here, you get your front, I’ll get your back. We’ll be done in no time.”

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir don’t fight them that night. When Reverser and Evillustrator straighten themselves out and clean themselves up, the two heroes are nowhere to be seen.

The villains end up roaring in laughter, an arm thrown around the others’ shoulder as they clutch to each other, embracing.

“M-Maybe this is a viable strategy?” Evillustrator giggles into Reverser’s jaw, breath hot and lips ghosting across his skin.

“Maybe,” Reverser chuckles, chest feeling full and warm. “You want to call it a night?”

“Might as well,” the other Akuma shrugs casually, wincing a bit. Reverser feels guilt for a split second, believing the other was feeling pain from the earlier railing, before Hawkmoth’s annoying voice starts to drill into his skull with the force of a sledgehammer.

“ _You let them get away! You had them perfectly distracted!_ ” the villain snaps.

Ah. The _audacity_ of this bitch.

“Oh, so _first_ you were pissed that we were fucking and not actively going after the heroes, and _now_ you’re pissed that we stopped fucking, since that was distracting them,” Reverser drawls, rolling his eyes. “Ugh. Just _pick_ one, you incompetent buffoon.”

“ _INCOMPETENT BUFFOON?_ ”

“Yeah, you heard me! Condom-mask wearing little _bitch_ —”

And then Reverser blacks out.

* * *

Marc blinks his eyes, incredibly confused and disoriented.

He was…in an alleyway…And someone was propping him up, their arms wrapped around him…?

“Careful there,” a man’s voice tells him kindly. “You just transformed back.”

Marc blinks the haziness away, carefully grabbing the other’s shoulders and leaning back to get a look at his savior.

And then promptly finds himself choking on his spit, eyes blown wide and staring back at Mightillustrator. No, wait, Evillustrator. Either way, the man in front of Marc made his heart flutter.

“I’m sorry that the change was so sudden,” the Akuma says with a sympathetic smile. “Are you feeling alright now?”

Marc can’t form any words. He’s physically incapable of it. No sound whatsoever is escaping his lips. So he just shuts his mouth and nods his head furiously, like a bobblehead.

“I can walk you home, if you’d like?” Evillustrator offers gently, with an even gentler smile, dark blue eyes so incredibly sincere. “Not to your door, if that makes you uncomfortable, but…I can take you at least a few blocks away, so you have to walk less. It’s dangerous at this time of night, especially for such a pretty little thing like you.”

First gorgeous flower, now pretty little thing…? Marc feels his face go warm at the compliments.

“O-Oh, I, um…P-Please?” he stutters back quietly

This is unreal. This has to a be a dream.

But the other man’s shoulders are warm and firm under Marc’s hands. And when Evillustrator steps back, he draws on his tablet, a rose appearing in his purple digits. He kneels, placing the rose in Marc’s hands. The man’s hands are warm, and the rose is cool against his fingertips. Marc twirls the stem, watching the flower spin, red petals matching the villain’s hair.

Nope. This is real.

“Then allow me to be your chariot today, my prince,” Evillustrator says, taking his opposite hand and pressing a kiss against the knuckles. Marc finds his face warming at the sweet gesture.

Oh. Oh fuck. This is just like one of his dreams, being romanced and swept off his feet by Mightillustrator. Except it’s happening in real life, and the man is actually an Akuma? But a very sweet and gentle one.

* * *

When Marc is back at home, he goes to his flower vase, placing the new rose in it and swapping it for the older one that was already dying.

Two roses. Two instances of meeting Evillustrator. At least, of meeting him and remembering him, as a civilian, instead of watching his Akuma self on the news with Evillustrator fighting by his side.

Evillustrator was a complete gentleman. It was almost unfathomable that he was an Akuma, a villain. He walked Marc home, leaving him a block and a half away from where Marc actually lived, in front of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. He drew new street lights to help illuminate Marc’s path home even further, and drew Marc a can of pepper spray to take with him, just in case.

The way he fretted was sweet, and how his blue eyes got so wide and concerned and sad was adorable. It helped beat back the guilt for no doubt scaring the Dupain-Cheng family senseless for having an Akuma appear in front of their bakery, but really, the writer didn’t know any other place that was a landmark close to his home.

Either way, he’s not looking forwards to visiting the bakery and explaining how and why an Akuma kissed his forehead goodnight…

Marc feels his heart flutter, and presses his hand against his chest, feeling the thrum of his elevated heartbeat under his fingertips. His other hand cups a burning cheek.

The writer wonders if he’ll be meeting Evillustrator once more…Or if next time, it’ll be Nathaniel Kurtzberg that he’ll see…

* * *

Nathaniel is confused when the next few weeks are free from Reverser or Hawkmoth attempting to Akumatize him again.

Did they piss Hawkmoth off? Was it because they were fucking instead of looking for Ladybug and Chat Noir last time? Was that it? That’s probably it.

Well, damn…For a terrorist, Hawkmoth sure was a prude and a total stick-in-the-mud…

Nathaniel sighs loudly, falling back on his bed and pouting up at the ceiling.

“This fucking sucks…” he mumbles childishly, “Hawkmoth can’t let me have _shit_ …”

And just when he was getting a hookup out of it, too! Sure, fucking an Akuma was bad in all respects, but damn it, it was the most action Nathaniel had been getting. Plus, Reverser was actually…nice? And funny? And he acted like an asshole, but he definitely had a soft streak a mile wide, when it came to Nathaniel.

Hell, the villain tried to take Nathaniel out to dinner once. The logistics of it were awful to begin with, and Nathaniel’s heart thrummed so fast with such a startling amount of embarrassed fondness he transformed before he could finish the date. But Reverser took him out on a date, and kisses him, and makes Nathaniel feel _amazing_.

Like, their relationship lasted longer so far than some of Nathaniel’s past relationships. Which was a little sad. Hell, Reverser was a literal fucking Akuma, and yet he managed to do better in the romance department than some of his exes.

Was he the _best_ relationship Nathaniel’s had? No, that would definitely go to Luka, despite the both of them using each other as rebounds. Luka had been beyond sweet. Very compassionate, very soothing, and they had great sex on top of that.

But the way Nathaniel felt with Reverser was… _more_. Everything just had more intensity. It’s exciting and thrilling, makes Nathaniel feel alive and always keeps him on his toes. There was also a connection there, something that made them both _click_ , both understand each other…

Nathaniel was fucking _smitten_ by Reverser. And Reverser seems equally as smitten, he thinks.

He’s pretty sure it’ll never really work out between them, considering the complicated situation. Nathaniel is a civilian, Reverser is an Akuma. And how does his own Akuma form factor into things…? Nathaniel knows Evillustrator and Reverser work well together as amazing partners in crime, but he also transforms into Evillustrator in the middle of sexy-times. How does the other him feel about all this? Positively? Negatively?

The redhead groans, pressing his hands against his face.

His life was a fucking _mess_. Why couldn’t he just find a nice and normal boy that could romance and rail him…?

Ugh. If only he could meet someone like…like Rainbowrites. But what are the chances of that happening…?

* * *

Marc’s finger hovers over the enter button on his phone.

He…He wanted to share his writing with Nathaniel…The writing based on Nathaniel’s art…

Maybe he’s finally strong enough to do it, this time…versus all the other times he’s typed out messages and deleted them…

The writer bites his lip, closes his eyes…and chucks his phone against his bed, burying his face in his hands.

No can do. He’s going to be a coward. Again.

Just because Nathaniel DM’ed him earlier and sent him a sweet message thanking him for his support didn’t mean there was anything between them. Respect and gratefulness, sure. But friendship? Most definitely not. It’s an acquaintanceship at best.

Marc sighs and passes his hands through his hair. He needs to get his mind off one Nathaniel Kurtzberg…

Maybe he should finally go have a nice, long talk with Marinette. She was his friend. Maybe she can give him some advice.

* * *

Nathaniel really should’ve figured his best friend would corner him for a talk.

“You need to find a boyfriend, dude,” Alix says, staring back at Nathaniel with a concerned frown. “I know you were getting Akumatized a _lot_ just last month, and it hasn’t happened again, so you’re just waiting on tender hooks for the other shoe to drop. But I’m pretty sure you’re going to give yourself carpel tunnel with how much you jack off, and you’re a nervous wreck. You need someone to help balance you out, take your mind off it.”

Ah. So she was trying to have an intervention with him.

Welp, it was only a matter of time, he supposed. Considering how he was falling back into bad habits because of his depression, it’s no wonder. He’s half surprised she hadn’t tried it earlier, but Alix had been trying to give him some space, which he appreciates. Even if more space just made him pine more over Reverser…

“I’m fine,” Nathaniel tries to say convincingly, knowing he wouldn’t be able to convince his best friend who’s known him since they were toddlers.

“Sounds fake, but okay,” Alix snorts, her blue eyes soft and voice just as soft as she goes on with, “Look, you don’t even need to jump in and find a serious relationship, okay? Just try and go out with someone for coffee or something, maybe try Tinder. Loosen up and enjoy life. Don’t let Hawkmoth drag you down and make you spiral into paranoia and depression, Nath.”

Nathaniel feels the burn of tears in his eyes. He wants to tell Alix, wants to find _someone_ to get it all off his chest. He hasn’t told anyone yet, about his secret almost-relationship with Reverser, not her or his therapist. And it’s eating him up inside, stressing him the fuck out.

He wants Hawkmoth to Akumatize him again. Just so he can find Reverser again. Just one more time—

“Okay,” he whispers.

But the seed of poison planted in his heart thrums to life, even as he hugs Alix and lets himself cry silently against her shoulder.

* * *

Evillustrator blinks, looking around himself. He’s in his other self’s room, alone, it seems. And Reverser is nowhere in sight.

He sighs, disappointed. Usually, Reverser was by his side. They were partners. Reverser’s job was to help him transform, and once transformed, they would wreak havoc together.

He feels achingly lonely, noticing the empty space by his side that the other Akuma always occupied.

He needs to find him, he decides. He needs to find Reverser.

And he knows just where to start. He remembers the last time he was Akumatized, remembers walking Reverser’s civilian self home.

So Evillustrator draws wings on his back, and hops out of the nearby window, intent on going to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. He’ll start his search from there.

* * *

Marc idly munches on a scone, staring out the window of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery without taking in the sights at all, eyes unseeing and distant.

He hasn’t been Akumatized in the past month. Nor has he seen Evillustrator appear on the news in that time.

Just what did his Akuma self even _do_ , to anger Hawkmoth…? Because that has to be it. He’d had to have angered Hawkmoth to stop the man from Akumatizing him.

It’s not like Marc’s dreams and dirty fantasies and aching need to see Nathaniel Kurtzberg have lessened in the month. In fact, he was so restless, anticipating the rush of power and freedom from Hawkmoth’s influence, his horniness has reached an all-time peak.

He hasn’t even met the man, and yet Marc wants to raw the talented artist six ways to Sunday, or be rawed by him. He really wasn’t picky. He also hasn’t met Nathaniel, if he doesn’t count the encounters with Evillustrator, but Marc doesn’t. Sure, that was a version of the artist, but it’s not like the artist would even remember him as an Akuma.

Either way, it was pathetic, he knows. _Marc_ was pathetic.

“Marc, do you want something else…? Maybe a hot chocolate?”

The writer blinks, turning his gaze over to a worried-looking Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He smiles sheepishly back at her, feeling awkward and guilty at the concern shining bright in her eyes.

“I-It’s fine, Marinette. I’m good,” he tells his friend.

The half-Chinese young woman worries her lip between her teeth, before pulling out the chair across from Marc and sitting down.

“You look really lost…” Marinette starts, tentative, brows furrowed. “Is this about… _him_?”

Marc finds his face warming, and he ducks his head, intently surveying his plate.

He’d avoided the bakery for most of the past month. He came in last week, and Marinette had instantly hugged him and babbled that she was glad he was alright.

She’d took him up to her room, and he’d spilled…everything. At least, everything about his encounters with Evillustrator.

He couldn’t divulge all his secrets. After all, he was Akumatized frequently in the past few months. His Akuma form drastically changed his appearance, made it very eye-catching and unreal. Adding his deeper voice and much more confident mannerisms, it helped obfuscate to his few friends and family members that Reverser and Marc Anciel could ever be connected.

Marc is pretty much a criminal, and he doesn’t want to freak his loved ones out. Marinette is his friend. She’s listened to his troubles and helped talk him through his feelings for Evillustrator. And while Marc could tell that Marinette was a little off-put and unnerved by the entire situation, she was still very sweet and tried her best to support Marc.

It…made him feel guilty. Lying to Marinette. Taking her help and friendship, when he’d led an Akuma outside her home, was in love with said Akuma.

“Maybe you should try to think of something else…?” the half-Chinese young woman asks, patting his hand and smiling awkwardly back at him. “Or, um, you could try and go on a date with someone?”

“B-But who would I date? I-I don’t really get out often, and I don’t know that many people,” Marc admits, drumming his nails restlessly on the table. “A-And, I don’t want to, to accidentally put anyone in danger? W-What if he comes back and finds me with someone else, and he gets angry, and then starts to try and hurt people, and—”

“It was just an idea Marc. You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Marinette says kindly, cutting through his panic with a calm and even voice, giving his hand a supportive squeeze.

He lets out a shaky breath. “S-Sorry, sorry. Th-thanks, Marinette…”

“It’s no problem,” she replies, an odd look on her face that he can’t decipher. She bites her lip, then starts, “Um, actually…There’s…there’s someone I know who you’d might want to meet?”

Marc blinks back at her, curious as he asks, “O-Oh? Who?”

“Uh, so…I know you write a lot of stories? And you write them based on someone’s art?” she starts slowly, tentatively.

“Yes,” Marc nods, “A Parisian artist, actually. Nathaniel Kurtzberg.”

“So, see, I actually, uh…I actually know Na—Evillustrator?!”

“What?” Marc asks, eyes blown wide as Marinette shoves her chair back and stares behind his shoulder in horrified surprise.

“Ah, hello again, Marinette.”

Marc turns in his chair, freezing as he watches Evillustrator stride towards them, posture hunched and hand rubbing the back of this neck sheepishly. Marinette stands, looking ready to bolt, but the Akuma quickly raises his hand a placating gesture, stopping in place.

“Forgive me for the intrusion. I’m not here for you, and I’m not here to hurt you or your family,” the purple-skinned man says evenly, softly.

Marc darts his gaze between Evillustrator and Marinette, noting how pale the woman’s gotten and how the awkwardness was rolling off the villain in waves. There are a thousand questions Marc has rattling in his brain. Stupidly enough, the first one that manages to escape his lips is, “Y-You know each other?”

“Er, yes.”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighs, crossing her arms, her gaze steely. “Evillustrator, I know you don’t want to hurt anyone, but I’m going to kindly ask you to leave.”

Marc darts his eyes around the rest of the bakery. The patrons have either frozen in place or are cowering under their tables. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng are behind the counter, inching away towards the kitchen, no doubt to call the hotline to alert the authorities of the Akuma. Honestly, the only person that doesn’t look absolutely terrified is a young woman with medium-brown skin and glasses that Marc knows is one of Marinette’s friends from school, a budding reporter named Alya.

Well. At least Alya will get first-hand footage of this newest…incident.

“And I will leave, Marinette, you have my word on that. But I’d like to talk with one of your customers first,” the art-based Akuma says, those deep blue eyes falling on Marc.

The writer squeaks. “M-me?” he asks dumbly, despite already having figured that Evillustrator was going to come for him.

“Marc, this is your decision,” Marinette starts, voice tight and controlled. Marc darts his eyes to look at his friend, who is serious as the grave as she says, “You don’t have to go with him. Evillustrator is an Akuma that will listen to reason, and typically doesn’t hurt civilians.”

“I’d never hurt him!” the villain states, looking a little heartbroken. “I’d never hurt anyone, Marinette…!”

The half-Chinese woman simply levels a flat glare at him, and the Akuma cringes back, looking chastised.

What the _fuck_ is even going on…? Is this Marc’s life, now?

“U-Um…I-I’m okay w-with going with him, Marinette,” Marc decides, looking around at the terrified patrons of the bakery. “He’s here for m-me, anyways. I’d, um, I’d like to hear what he has to say.”

When the writer looks back at Evillustrator, his expression has brightened considerably. The villain falls into a dramatic bow, flourishing his arms and saying, “Please, follow me, then.”

Marc stands, and carefully walks toward the Akuma, who simply gives him a soft smile and leads the way out of the bakery.

* * *

Evillustrator knew going to the bakery would be a good idea.

He sweeps the dark-haired young man in his arms, the young man—Marc, his name is Marc—squeaking and blushing from the action. Marc grips onto his shoulders, and Evillustrator smiles down at him.

“I’ll find us a more private place to speak. Hold on tight.”

And then the Akuma flies away from the scene, Marc clinging to him and squealing. No doubt if he stays, Ladybug and Chat Noir will stop him before he can actually speak with the object of his affections.

The Akuma touches down on a park a few blocks away, carefully setting Marc down. The poor guy looks dazed, messy hair windswept and emerald eyes wide. He reminds Evillustrator of a doe, gorgeous and very much in need of protection.

It would be hard to connect Marc with Reverser, considering how seemingly different their personalities are. But Evillustrator knows the awkward and more human side of his partner, the softness Reverser hides from the heroes and from himself. And while Marc was seemingly a sweetheart on the surface, he’d have to have some _very_ strong emotions and needs, with the way Reverser manifests as being so dominate and bold when it came to sex.

“I’m sorry for frightening you,” Evillustrator starts, picking up one of Marc’s hands to kiss the knuckles. “I just needed to see you again.”

“N-Needed to see me…?” the other asks, quietly and shyly, face flushed a fetching pink.

“Yes. I was lonely. I missed you greatly,” the Akuma admits, rubbing his thumb across the other’s knuckles.

“Y-You did?” Marc stutters out, “B-But you—you b-barely know me…?”

“And yet, what I _do_ know of you makes me greatly fond of you,” Evillustrator states, carefully bringing a hand up to cup the other’s cheek. Marc blushes bright red at that, emerald eyes going wide. “You are soft and kind as a civilian. And yet, so very strong and sharp, as an Akuma. It’s fascinating, and quite charming to me.”

* * *

Marc’s heart thrums, the seed of doubt in his chest pulsing. He feels the doubt and poison fill his lungs, feels it spreading.

“I-I’ve watched and admired you for, for s-so long, I…I don’t…” he whispers out tremulously, staring into the Akuma’s deep blue eyes. “You c-can’t. You can’t like me, I’m—I’m _no one_ to you.”

Evillustrator looks heartbroken as he stares back at him, rubbing his thumb across Marc’s blazing cheek.

“Oh, my flower…You mean so much to me, as Reverser. You are my partner, my other half…And as yourself, as a civilian, as _Marc_ , I’d like to get to know you better as well. To know what makes you smile, what makes your heart beat wildly, if your lips are the same softness no matter your form.”

Holy shit, that’s so _romantic_. Marc is melting into a puddle right now, just. Wow.

His heart thrums, and he watches the pure pigmented black and white crawl down his wrists.

“Y-You can figure out one of those things, right now,” he says breathlessly, adrenaline giving him strength and confidence.

He places his darkening hand on the other’s shoulder, leaning forwards, eyes fluttering closed.

And then he feels it, feels the pressure against his lips, warm and pliant. Evillustrator kisses him like he would something precious, gentle and warm and considering, holding Marc’s face in his hands like porcelain.

Marc has dreamed of this for far too long, and he knows he doesn’t have much time left before he’s Akumatized, so he presses insistently against the villain’s lips. Presses and grips hard on the other’s shoulder, tilting his head to slide their lips snugly together, darting his tongue to prod against the villain’s lower lip.

Evillustrator lets out a little gasp, and Marc uses that opportunity to slide his tongue in the other’s mouth, searching and probing. Marc moans against the other’s lips when Evillustrator tilts his head and presses back, tongue tangling with Marc’s.

Marc’s heart beats like a war drum in his chest, the two parting just to gasp in a quick breath, before they were diving right back in again. A heated meeting of lips, a furiously clash of tongues, the villain threading his hands in the writer’s hair and Marc roving his hands across the other’s back, pressing their fronts flush together.

Marc’s always dreamed of this, but this is so much better than a dream, so much _realer_. His body is blazing like an inferno, so hot he’ll burn his skin right off.

He bucks his hips against the other, hearing the villain gasp into his mouth as their pelvises meet, Marc’s skinny jeans against the thin material of the others’ tights. The writer has just enough awareness to pull back for breath after a few moments of dirty grinding, panting. The purple-skinned man looks dazed and wrecked, lips slick with spit and open as he pants, blue eyes darkened in lust.

Marc tries to etch every detail of what Evillustrator looks like in this moment into his memory, before he passes out, Hawkmoth’s influence finally overriding his mind.

* * *

Evillustrator gives a slightly hysterical, very breathless laugh as he watches Reverser blink back at him.

“C-Can’t believe that actually worked,” he says, rubbing a thumb against Reverser’s cheek, finding himself smile with an achingly fond heart. “Welcome back, Reverser. I’ve missed you.”

“I…Evillustrator?” the monochrome Akuma asks slowly, blinking furiously. “You…Wait. What happened?”

“It’s been a month since I’ve last seen you,” Evillustrator starts, just a bit sheepish. “And I missed you.”

Reverser stares back, coal eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. “You…Y-You came to find me?” he asks, voice strangely soft and small, compared to his usual deep and confident tones.

“Of course I did,” Evillustrator states, chest overflowing with love and spilling out of his lips. “You’re my _partner_ , Rev.”

Reverser’s coal eyes soften, and his cheeks color grey, before he throws his arms around the other’s neck. Evillustrator smiles into their kiss.

* * *

Of course they’re interrupted by Ladybug and Chat Noir. Of _course_.

Ladybug whistles sharply, giving them a flat look. “Break it up, love birds. We don’t have all day.”

“Well well, you two actually made it in record time!” Reverser calls out tauntingly, smirking at the heroes, very purposefully groping at Evillustrator’s ass as he does so. “And I was just considering taking it a little further with my partner…!”

Evillustrator cackles, cooing out, “Oh, you really think they could handle seeing us again? Last time they ran away!”

“Probably left to go jack off,” the monochrome villain snorts, detaching himself from Evillustrator after one final kiss. “Maybe we should charge them admission next time?”

“Of course. Their Miraculous should be enough, I’d think.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Their banter’s too good…!” Chat Noir whines, pouting over at Ladybug. “Milady, you and I could be like that, if you stopped playing.”

The woman rolls her eyes, fondly exasperated. “Chat, no. We are _professionals_ first.”

Reverser feels the adrenaline sing in his veins, as he readies his paper. “Your loss, then. Darling?”

“Ready,” Evillustrator states, pen scratching across his tablet.

Reverser sends out airplanes and paper spears, while Evillustrator starts to erase the bottom of the tree trunks around the heroes to topple the oaks over. The heroes dodge out of the way, sliding behind the fallen trees to use as coverage, but Reverser just raises in the air on his glider and conducts a majority of his projectiles to hover above the trees, poised to start raining down on the heroes’ heads.

He loves this, the thrill of the hunt. It’s why he was always so eager to chase down Nathaniel, before the redhead gave in to him, allowing himself to be caught and ravished by Reverser.

Evillustrator flaps his mechanical wings, taking to the sky alongside Reverser to gain a better vantage point. The two Akuma share a pointed and excited smile.

“It feels great, fighting with you again,” Evillustrator chirps, ever the sappy one, looking at him with crinkled blue eyes.

Reverser doesn’t stop the laugh from spilling past his lips, oh-so-fond. “It does.”

And then they turn their attention back towards the heroes, ready to get their Miraculous once and for all.

* * *

Nathaniel laughs breathlessly, clinging to Reverser’s front to keep himself on the villain’s glider.

“So, we didn’t win again?” he asks loudly into the other’s ear.

“No,” the villain replies, before angling the glider down. The artist squeals at the sudden descent, burying his face against the other’s chest.

Despite the sudden dip, and the rumbling of Reverser’s laughter, they touch down rather softly. Nathaniel’s legs are shaky from nerves and exhaustion, but he manages to step off the glider, still clinging to the other’s front.

“My powers will run out soon,” Reverser starts suddenly, grabbing Nathaniel’s chin and forcing him to look up. His coal-dark eyes are soft, as soft as his voice, as he says, “I…I missed you.”

Nathaniel feels his heart melt, and his eyes start to burn, just a little. “I missed you too,” he whispers, eyes fluttering closed and sighing into Reverser’s mouth as the villain kisses him. It’s a short thing, firm and heated, and it takes his breath away when they part.

“Stay safe,” the monochrome man murmurs, before he’s taking off like a bullet on his glider, rounding a nearby corner. No doubt because his powers were going to fail him soon.

Nathaniel sighs, ridiculously lovestruck, as he gently touches his lips with his fingertips.

Yeah. Yeah, he was fond of Reverser, and Reverser was fond of him. This kind of proved it.

He turns and starts to walk back home, about three blocks away from where the villain dropped him off. And he wonders what the Akuma was like as a civilian…

* * *


	3. Can’t Stand to be Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get some ~ drama ~ in this chapter, and some more sex.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: mentions of suicidal behavior, potent anger against women, hostage situations, possessive behavior,

* * *

“Marc! Are you okay?!” Marinette yells, instantly running to Marc and throwing her arms around him the second he steps into the bakery.

Marc stumbles, only barely keeping himself steady. Despite how small she was, it felt like a bus ramming into him.

“M-Mari—”

“I was so worried!” the half-Chinese young woman says, before she’s leaning back, putting her hands on his shoulders. “We called the hotline as soon as we could, and Maman and Papa sent Ladybug right after you not long after Evillustrator took you. Even Alya tried to find you! God, it was all so _stressful_ —”

“I-I’m fine, Marinette…” Marc tells her softly, eyes burning and throat tightening. The fact that she was so genuinely concerned warmed his heart.

“Here, here, sit down! Maman and Papa say that anything you want is on the house. You pretty much put yourself right in the middle of harm’s way to get an Akuma out of the bakery, you’re sort of a hero, y’know!”

Marc stares back at her, stunned, allowing himself to be dragged to a nearby table. He looks around in his seat, only to see the rest of the patrons staring at him. And then they started clapping, and Marc’s face burns instantly, sinking down into his seat and wishing the floor could open up under him.

* * *

Thankfully, Marinette brings him up to her home after the debacle in the bakery. She sits him down with a plate of cookies and some hot chocolate, letting him jitter and shake from the anxiety.

It feels like an interrogation, almost, Marinette watching him and quietly waiting for him to speak. The writer shoves a cookie in his mouth to buy himself time.

He has a story he can give her, but he’s not sure how convincing it would be…

“W-We talked, and, and he didn’t hurt me. Evillustrator, that is,” Marc starts, tentative and awkward. “He…He was a gentleman.”

Marinette sighs, something that sounds relieved. But she’s still staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Yeah, that sounds like Evillustrator…He’s sweet towards the object of his affections.”

The way she says it is familiar, and the piece clicks into place. “He had a crush on you in the past, didn’t he?”

Marinette cringes, scratching at her temple. “Y…Yeah. He did.”

“Oh.” Marc states, unsure how to feel.

It makes sense that Evillustrator had other people he loved, in the past. Though he only showed up for a few incidences, about four or so years ago. And then he stopped appearing completely.

And during that four-year hiatus of Akumatization, Nathaniel Kurtzberg was posting his drawings. Beautiful drawings. Dynamic drawings. Drawings of the heroes. Drawings of Evillustrator, now dubbed Mightillustrator, his Akuma form turned into something heroic versus its villainous origins.

Another piece of the puzzle slots itself in Marc’s mind. “He was Akumatized because he loved you…isn’t that right?”

Marinette winces, but nods. “Wow, uh…F-For someone that actually wasn’t there at the time, you…put that together really quickly.”

“It just makes sense, I suppose,” Marc shrugs, rubbing the mug between his hands, thoughtful as he looks into its depths. “It lines up to the timeline. Evillustrator shows up, then doesn’t for another four years. In that time, Nathaniel Kurtzberg draws the heroes, alongside Mightillustrator.”

“Ah, well…Considering you know Nath’s art, that makes sense.”

Marc blinks, snapping his gaze up to Marinette. The casual way she spoke about him, the fact Evillustrator was Akumatized because of her—

“Is he your friend? Nathaniel?”

“He…He is, yes…”

Marc’s not sure what expression his face is making, but with the way Marinette cringes, breath hissing through her teeth, it’s probably not a positive one.

“I didn’t mean to keep that a secret from you! Gosh, I’m so sorry, Marc, I—”

Marc’s blood rushes through his ears, as he sets his mug down and asks flatly, “Do you follow his art accounts?”

“Y…Yes? Marc, what…” Marinette is staring at him with wide eyes, voice shaky, looking liable to bolt at any moment. Like a terrified mouse.

“So you know what his art style looks like,” the writer states, feeling detached, his blood bubbling and writhing. “Which means you’d know I was looking at his art, whenever I had it pulled up on my phone to use for my writing, sitting in the bakery. Which means you’d known this for _months_ , and didn’t ever mention it to me.”

Marinette holds her hands out in front of her, like an animal tamer might when trying to deal with a rabid animal. “Marc, I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I know you’re shy about showing people your work.”

Nathaniel had been so _close_. Literally _one_ conversation away.

All of this was for nothing. Every fucking thing. Him turning to villainy, him wasting his time literally chasing after Nathaniel, him analyzing all the videos and all the memories he has of the other. Marc sold his soul to a fucking _terrorist_ because he was a pining fool that was too shy to message the artist that inspired his writing, who had saved him from a terribly lonely and bleak life, from ending it all at sixteen.

“But you could have said something,” Marc states, blood boiling, finding his breath pant and shake as he re-iterates, “Nathaniel’s work _inspires me_ every single day, and you’re his _friend_ , and you didn’t even need to offer to introduce me, Marinette. But you could have _said_ something. Unless you kept it from me to mock me—”

“I-I swear I didn’t, Marc, please believe me!” Marinette says, jumping out of her seat, waving her hands in front of herself.

But Marc wasn’t listening. He was only listening the rush of blood in his ears, the quick thump of his heart, a familiar whisper crooning for him to embrace the darkness in his heart.

“You were laughing at me, watching me write and pine, and you probably told Nathaniel! _That’s_ why he’s suddenly so interested in me! Not because he likes me, but just because I’m a _fan_ that wrote things over his art!” he snarls, surging to his feet.

Marinette bolts for it, racing across the living room, as Marc’s vision goes dark with rage.

* * *

Reverser barely needs to re-orient himself, his rage is so potent.

He knows instantly what he needs to do. Marinette. He needs to kill Marinette.

He gets on his glider, and flies down the stairs. Marinette is sprinting across the bakery and out the door. A fast runner, but she can’t outrun him.

Reverser finds himself smiling, wide and wild and furious, the patrons shrieking and diving to the ground as he speeds straight at the glass front windows, breaking through them and swerving after the running young woman.

“MARINETTE…!” he screams after her. “COME BACK HERE, MARINETTE!”

* * *

Today, Nathaniel had decided to take a walk. Maybe catch up with Marinette. It’s been too long since he last visited her parent’s bakery, and he had a major sweets deficit as of late.

His plans instantly change, when he sees Reverser in the distance screaming for Marinette and looking particularly murderous.

He doesn’t think. He just starts running, trying to go and intercept. Oh God, oh fuck, his crazy Akuma boyfriend was ready to kill one of his friends. Jesus fucking Christ.

“REV!” the artist yells, Reverser’s glider getting closer and closer. “REVERSER, STOP.”

Marinette takes that second to dart past him and swerve into a side street, and Nathaniel almost gets bowled over by said crazy Akuma boyfriend.

Reverser grabs onto Nathaniel, arms locked around his waist, glider slowing its bullet-fast pace.

“You shouldn’t be here!” the monochrome man snaps. “You’ll get hurt! Just stay out of the way!”

“You’re trying to murder one of my friends!” Nathaniel snaps back, glaring up at the other. “I’m not just going to let you do that…!”

Reverser snarls at him, baring his teeth. “This doesn’t concern you—”

“Like hell it does! I’m _not_ letting my boyfriend murder my friends!”

Reverser, who looked ready to snap something back at him, freezes. His mouth stays open, gaping, as he stares down at the redhead with wide eyes. The glider stills in place, simply hovering in the air.

“I…You…Boyfriend?” the Akuma asks, in voice that’s at normal volume, sounding exceedingly confused.

“I mean, I know you probably aren’t a fan of labels or anything,” Nathaniel starts, feeling awkward that they’re having this conversation floating in the middle of the street in broad daylight. “But, uh…I…I kinda consider you my boyfriend, yeah.”

“Oh,” Reverser says, in a high and strangled voice.

Unfortunately for them, Ladybug takes that second to arrive.

“Let the hostage go, Reverser!”

Nathaniel snaps his head up to stare at the heroine. He tries to tell her through his gaze to not interrupt, making a little chopping motion towards his neck.

Of course, his Akuma boyfriend takes that time to play into it and ham things up. “That’s right! You better not make a move, Ladybug, or he gets it!”

“What the fuck…?” Nathaniel hisses quietly to the other man.

“It’s all for show,” Reverser grits out, from the side of his mouth. “Play along.”

“Is this your idea of a date?”

“Shut up and play nice, Nath.”

The redhead finds himself unable to say another word, flushing at Reverser’s use of a nickname. He’s never been called Nath before by Reverser, and it…made his heart flutter.

“Let him go, Reverser! He’s done nothing to gain your anger…!” Ladybug calls again, from her perch on the roof.

“I’ll let him go, if you give me who I want!” Reverser yells back. “One Marinette Dupain-Cheng…! I’ll exchange Nathaniel for her!”

“Rev, what the _fuck_?” Nathaniel hisses, pinching the Akuma in the side.

“Listen, it plays into my goals rather well,” the villain murmurs to him.

Nathaniel hisses hysterically, “Stop trying to kill Marinette!”

“A hostage negotiation? That’s a new one from you, Reverser,” Chat Noir says casually, perched on a nearby light pole.

“Marinette for Nathaniel. One hour, at the Eiffel Tower,” Reverser declares to the heroes, slowly backing the glider away from the superhero duo. “ _Don’t_ be late.”

Goddamn, the way Reverser said that was _so_ sexy—No, bad, Nathaniel. Focus on the hostage situation.

Reverser backs them away until he’s around the corner of another building, losing visual with the heroes, before he’s swerving and zipping the glider away at full speed.

* * *

“What the _fuck_ was all that about?!” Nathaniel demands, fisting his hands in the front of the other’s tunic.

All Reverser does is smile and laugh maniacally. “That was us getting away with it, darling! Why, don’t you just enjoy the _thrill_ of it?”

His smile is sharp and crooked, coal eyes wide and wild. He looks giddy, like a child. Nathaniel, despite his qualms, feels exceedingly charmed.

“You _maniac_!” he sighs, finding himself giggling, oddly enough.

They fly and keep flying, Reverser twisting and turning, Nathaniel shrieking and clinging to the other. It was like riding a rollercoaster, but worse, because there was no railing and just his boyfriend’s warm arms holding him against his chest in a tight embrace, the only thing keeping Nathaniel from falling to his doom.

But it _was_ a little thrilling.

They twist and turn, and then they’re entering a park, and the glider clips a tree and the two go tumbling off. Nathaniel squeals, but Reverser rolls them and takes the brunt of the fall, and they go rolling and rolling until they finally stop in the middle of a little cleared space between some bushes.

Nathaniel is breathless, Reverser’s arms still protectively around him as he lies on top of the monochrome man. Reverser is wheezing, with a grimace on his face, but he brings a hand up to gently cup Nathaniel’s cheek and chokes out, “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah. I’m okay,” the artist manages to say, feeling warm and safe in the other’s arms, heart beating staccato in his chest. He carefully shifts, running a hand through Reverser’s bi-colored hair, the hood knocked off from the impact. Nathaniel picks out the leaves and sticks in his black-white locks, giggling slightly. “Thank you for protecting me. Sorry, you’ve got some leaves in your hair.”

“S’fine,” Reverser sighs, eyes going to half-mast, leaning his head against Nathaniel’s hand. He looks like a cat getting ear scratches. It’s cute.

Nathaniel leans down, capturing the other’s lips in a kiss, so overwhelmingly fond and needing to express it physically.

Reverser kisses back, something slow and wet and languid, completely different from their past kisses. Softer, almost. Nathaniel hums against his boyfriend’s lips, taking his time to explore the other’s lips and mouth and tongue.

They’ve never taken their time, before. They’ve always done things quickly, all burning passion, because of their limited time together. But they have the time, now, and they’re using it.

Nathaniel parts their lips, catching his breath. Reverser pants, looking up at him, dark eyes soft and crinkled, the edges of his black-painted lips quirked up.

“Hey,” the villain whispers, gently carding a hand through Nathaniel’s hair.

“Hey,” the redhead smiles back, feeling a grin grow on his face.

He leans back down, leaving a small trail of kisses from Reverser’s cheek, following his jawline, light and playful. Reverser sighs when he starts to kiss carefully down his neck, the artist feeling the man rub his back in slow circles.

They stay like that, exchanging small kisses, wrapped in an embrace, until they hear a news chopper noisily fly over them.

Reverser groans, glaring up at the sky. “Looks like our time’s up,” he states, voice thick with bitterness.

“It was nice, though,” Nathaniel says, carefully sitting up. “Now, uh, can I remind you to _not_ kill my friend…?”

“Honestly, my murderous attentions have only been mildly sated,” Reverser drawls, sitting up and pecking the artist on the mouth. “But I won’t kill her. Today.”

“Please don’t kill Marinette at _any_ point.”

“I make no promises, darling,” Reverser says with a crooked grin, flicking Nathaniel lightly on the forehead. The artist yelps and rubs at the spot, pouting at his boyfriend, causing the monochrome man to chuckle. “Now, come on. I’ve got to clock my hours in.”

“Yes, dear,” Nathaniel says sarcastically, standing up and extending a hand, helping the Akuma up with him. “You actually get paid by Hawkmoth?”

“Only in power, darling, only in power.”

“That’s illegal,” Nathaniel points out, trying very hard to go for serious, “You should start a union.”

Reverser throws his head back and laughs, a bright and joyful sound. Something Nathaniel’s not sure he’s ever actually heard from the other man.

“You’re a delight, Nathaniel. Really,” the Akuma says, shaking his head and smiling back at him in a distinctly fond way. “C’mere, it’s time you play hostage, now.”

“Well, next time you get me to roleplay something, I want it to be sexier,” the artist huffs.

The villain smirks back at him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Reverser doesn’t feel particularly murderous, no. But he still finds himself feeling excited at the prospect of the hostage exchange.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is there, standing between Ladybug and Chat Noir, down at ground level with a megaphone between the three of them.

“How do I know she’s the real deal?” he calls down to the heroes. The news helicopters buzz around like annoying flies, circling the Eiffel Tower, circling him and Nathaniel.

“It really is me, Reverser…!” Marinette calls back, in a voice that he recognizes. Alright, she passes the first test.

“Give me a fact only I would know! And don’t cheat and try to reveal my identity, Marinette!”

Nathaniel is silent, in the Akuma’s hold, but his eyes dart between Reverser and his friend, quick and calculating.

“Your civilian self is a writer! And you admire someone greatly, who serves as your inspiration for writing!”

Reverser finds himself clicking his tongue, a little impressed, before calling back, “Alright, you’re the real deal! Now, come up here already!”

The leather clad hero takes the megaphone from the civilian. “Let Nathaniel go first, Reverser!” Chat Noir calls out, Ladybug glaring up alongside him.

“Not a chance! Get Marinette up to me first!”

“Jesus _fuck_ , this is dramatic,” Nathaniel mutters, and Reverser has to bite down a laugh. His boyfriend was too sarcastic for his own good.

…Wait. Was that the first time he’s thought of the artist as his boyfriend?

Reverser stares down at the heroes, mind going blank for a few moments. But the two heroes were gesturing towards the elevator. Right, hostages. Hostage situation.

“If you bring Marinette up in the elevator, I’ll let Nathaniel go into the elevator and leave with you!” the monochrome man snaps down, pretending like he was in full control of the conversation.

“Fine! I’ll go!” Marinette yells back up to him, the two heroes surrounding her and hissing at her with low voices.

The Akuma watches with a raised brow as the half-Chinese young woman walks purposefully into elevator.

“The fuck are you going to do, if this actually works…?” Nathaniel asks him, looking between the two heroes on the ground, and the elevator doors.

“I…hadn’t actually thought that through.”

“You _what_?!

“Keep it down!” Reverser hisses. “Listen. I didn’t even think I’d get this far.”

“Jesus fucking _Christ_ , Rev.”

Two minutes later, and the elevator doors open.

Marinette isn’t standing there. More importantly, Ladybug is wrapping Nathaniel up in her yoyo and bodily yanking him towards her.

Reverser is shocked, and so is the artist, the other’s eyes blown wide. And then Reverser has to slide away on his glider.

“How?!” he shouts, as Ladybug catches Nathaniel. He takes a quick glance down and—

Standing at ground level is a smirking Rena Rouge, Chat Noir making his way up the side of the Eiffel Tower. An illusion, of course!

They must have found Marinette beforehand and gotten information from her, and noted how her voice sounds, so they could pull off the switching act.

Reverser decides to cut his losses. Three against one? The odds are stacked against him.

He leaves on his glider, zipping quickly across the Parisian skyline, disappointed that he couldn’t spend more time with his boyfriend.

…

That’s right. Nathaniel is his boyfriend.

Reverser laughs to himself, a soft and almost giddy sound.

* * *

Marc doesn’t leave his house for three days after watching the news and seeing how his Akuma self created a hostage situation. With Nathaniel Kurtzberg. In exchange for Marinette. Because he probably wanted to murder Marinette.

Fuck. What the _fuck_.

Yes, he feels betrayed by Marinette. Yes, the way he responded was not very healthy. No, he didn’t have a right to go after her in a murderous rage, even if Akumatized.

But this brings up some questions. Mainly, how did Reverser even manage to find Nathaniel and take him hostage? He has _no_ fucking clue. What the _absolute_ fuck.

Either way, he is going to forever avoid the Dupain-Cheng Bakery in the future.

* * *

Nathaniel pouts and waits for Reverser to be re-akumatized again. He wants quality time with his boyfriend, damn it!

“Hey, Hawkmoth. Send Reverser after me, or you’re homophobic,” he says aloud.

No response. Not even a tingle in his chest.

Fucking damn it.

* * *

On the fourth day of not leaving his house, Marc is half-worried he broke his wrist from both furiously writing and jacking it to all the scenarios he could think of involving his Akuma self taking Nathaniel Kurtzberg hostage.

_Jesus_ , he was fucked up.

Maybe Marinette had a point. He should…find someone to date. This wasn’t healthy…

* * *

Maybe he can find Reverser better as Evillustrator…? But if he finds him, he won’t remember it as Nathaniel…Decisions, decisions…

“Yo, Hawkmoth. Hit me with your best shot. I’m ready to be an Akuma,” Nathaniel finally decides, opening his arms wide. “I miss my boyfriend, and I’ll get the Miraculous for you, too.”

“ _Excellent_ ,” Hawkmoth hisses in his brain, before he blacks out.

* * *

Evillustrator very much misses Reverser. And Marc. Though technically they were the same person. Hm…

He taps his pen against his lips, trying to decide what he should do. The only point he has of reference was the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, but there’s no guarantee Marc will be there.

He pulls up his civilian self’s phone, unlocks it from pure rote physical memory alone, and then scrolls through the news feed.

Huh. Apparently last week, Reverser took Evillustrator’s civilian self hostage, and attempted to barter with the heroes for Marinette.

Well. That sure is a strange clash of his ex-flame and his current flame…

He shudders, and hopes that Marc and Marinette never meet in-person. That would be strange. And very awkward.

Well, he can always start on the street corner of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and make a sweep around the area. Marc lived not far from there, he assumed. He’d find him eventually. If not, maybe making a bit of noise will result in either Marc or Reverser coming out of the woodworks to see him…

* * *

Marc almost chokes on his own spit when he looks out his window and sees Evillustrator make a circuit past him while wearing his mechanical wings.

Fuck. What the fuck.

Is he…Is he searching for Marc…?

The writer finds his stomach flipping. Against his own better judgement, he carefully walks towards the window, peering out and trying to get a better look.

Ah. Looks like the Akuma was being intercepted by Ladybug. Though thankfully, Chat Noir isn’t with her, so it’s a much more even fight.

Marc worries his lip between his teeth. If he helps, that would give his civilian self away to Ladybug, or at the very least seem incredibly suspicious…But if he does nothing, Evillustrator can get hurt…

“ _You want to protect him? I can give you the power_ ,” Hawkmoth croons in his ear, and Marc finds himself smiling sharply.

“Thank you, Hawkmoth,” he says, as he feels the power rush through his veins, and his vision goes dark.

* * *

Evillustrator perks up when he sees Reverser’s airplanes almost hit Ladybug from her right.

“Rev, hey!” he calls, waving enthusiastically. “Glad you could make it!”

Ladybug perches on top of a nearby roof, eyes wide and looking visibly nervous. Which makes sense. Without her little kitty boytoy, it was two against one.

“Lucky Charm!” the woman calls whipping her yoyo around and summoning something in her hand. The heroine throws it down on the roof, and a huge cloud of smoke billows where she was. Ah, a smoke bomb.

Evillustrator flies over to Reverser, who’s smiling widely and looking giddy. “So Ladybug thinks she can outrun us, huh?”

“Hey, don’t go running after her so quickly,” the art-based Akuma chides, before embracing the other from behind. “I’ve missed you, Reverser. Can’t I have some time with you, before we go fighting the heroes?”

He expects his partner to scoff or complain. The monochrome man sighs, but relaxes into Evillustrator’s hold.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he laughs, looking over his shoulder at Evillustrator with crinkled eyes. “Missed you too, darling. Ladybug running off for reinforcements will give us a few minutes, at least.”

“You have a place in mind?” the purple-skinned man asks, holding his breath and feeling his heart trip in his chest in anticipation.

* * *

Reverser is exceedingly horny right now, but even _he’s_ smart enough not to bring his partner straight back to his civilian self’s home and walk through the front door like it’s nothing.

They have to sneak around and parkour across the roofs, but eventually Reverser finds his window and nudges it open with one of his paper planes, before they both quickly scramble in like they’re going to rob the place.

The two duck under the windowpane, and Reverser makes sure to close it again and pull the curtains, with his paper. Then the two giggle at one another like schoolchildren.

“So this is your room…?” Evillustrator wonders, looking around himself, taking in walls full of band posters, and the messy desk and bureau in the corner. “Or, I suppose, your civilian self’s room.”

“Yup. Now you know where to come if you wanna stalk me,” Reverser drawls, getting up from his crouch to riffle through the drawers where he keeps the lube and condoms. “And congrats, I’ve got actual stuff here to help prep you and give you a good time.”

“This is admittedly better than fucking in an alleyway,” Evillustrator chuckles along, the sound light and warm. “Though I won’t complain too much, because the experience was pretty hot.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, at any rate,” the monochrome man finds himself laughing. “Considering you only tuned in for half of it, with the whole transforming-in-the-middle bit.”

“Oh, it was _interesting_ , for sure,” the other Akuma laughs, sitting down on the bed and smiling up at Reverser. “So…About how much do you think we can accomplish, before Ladybug rains on our parade?”

“Well, your civilian self seems to always be half-prepped to get fucked. Not sure if the same goes for you, honestly, but since we’re Akuma, our physical attributes are enhanced.”

“So, theoretically, we have the time and flexibility so one of us can fuck the other before we get caught?” Evillustrator hums, crossing a leg. “Sounds good. Mind if I try?”

Reverser finds himself snorting. “Wow, you really think you’re top material?” he asks, casually knocking the other’s beret aside to thread a hand through his hair. Evillustrator’s eyes go to half-mast almost instantly.

“Hm…I don’t really know if it’s a subject of who’s more of a ‘top’ or not,” the art-based Akuma starts, reaching out to grip Reverser’s hips. “Personally, I’d find it’s based on what both parties would like. I’d like to let you lie back and be relaxed, let yourself go, for once. You’re always the strong one, the one in control. But even the strong ones need to take a break, sometimes.”

The monochrome man just…stares down at his partner. His breath stutters, as he looks at the other’s sincere expression, the dark blue eyes soft as they look back at him.

“Oh,” the word slips past his lips, barely whispered.

Evillustrator smiles up at him like morning sunlight, and asks evenly, “Reverser, can I make love to you?”

He doesn’t even twitch when he asks, just pure and unbridled sincerity, not an iota of irony to be had.

Reverser’s face burns, and his heart feels like it’s doing loop-de-loops like one of his airplanes. Of _course_ Evillustrator would make something like asking for sex be so…sappy. And wholesome. Because this is Evillustrator, and he’s all about that romantic shit.

It makes him feel nice, though. Like he’s appreciated. Like he’s being _seen_ , almost, in a strange way.

He blames his civilian self for being so soft, when he whispers out, “Okay.”

Evillustrator smiles back at him, his smile the sun cresting over the horizon and ascending in the sky. “Alright. You should lie down, on your back, and get comfortable. Maybe take your pants off first?”

“Already wanting me out of my pants, huh?” Reverser rasps, attempting to joke. He gets a warm chuckle for his troubles, and ducks his head working at his pants.

No use putting on a show about it. His tunic covers his hips and junk anyways. So he’s quick in peeling the article of clothing off and dropping it on a heap on the floor.

Then the monochrome man places his fingers on the edge of his tunic, and finds himself hesitating.

“You don’t have to take your tunic off. It might be more practical to keep it on, actually, for afterwards,” Evillustrator smiles kindly back at him, voice steady and soothing. He pets the bed next to him. “You can lie down now, Rev.”

Feeling light enough to float, Reverser sits next to his partner. And then carefully scoots himself to the middle of the bed, and lies down, hear fluttering in his chest.

He’s…never done it on a bed before, though he thinks maybe his civilian self has? It all feels very soft, and vanilla. He feels distinctly out of place.

He looks over at Evillustrator, watches as the other villain slowly peels off his tights. What a dumb thing to decide for your villain suit, really, wearing tights…Then again, Evillustrator was first an Akuma four years ago. Maybe thoughts of practicality and proper clothing weren’t in his mind, then.

Reverser finds himself chuckling as he watches his partner wiggle his hips and work his tights down his legs.

“These will be a pain to put on later,” Evillustrator sighs, with a little laugh, finally kicking the tights away from his legs. He turns to grin toothily at Reverser. He looks handsome, like this, happy and playful. The monochrome man feels his heart fill with all the gooey feelings and shit that he’s still not particularly used to.

And then Evillustrator was on his knees, throwing the condoms and lube on the bedspread and crawling across the mattress, smiling all the while.

“Well, you look relaxed. Good.”

Reverser rolls his eyes and snorts. “Yeah, alright. Just fuck me already, beret boy.”

“Beret boy?” the other asks with a giggle. “Ah, well, I sort of lost it earlier. That’s not exactly an accurate nickname.”

Reverser raises a brow and deadpans, “You gonna fuck me, or what?”

“I have to prep you first, you know,” Evillustrator says evenly, sitting back on his haunches and kneading at Reverser’s thighs. The monochrome man finds his breath hitching as the other looks down at him, something both heated and soft at the same time. “Foreplay and prep are important.”

“They’re kind of boring, but if you say so…” Reverser says, just a bit skeptically.

Yes, he can enjoy some good teasing and grinding. But that’s when he was the one giving it out, the one to slick his fingers with his spit and wrap them around their cocks, or dip them into Nathaniel’s waiting hole. He’s not sure if he has the patience to be on the receiving end of that.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it enjoyable,” the art-based Akuma promises, opening the bottle of lube and pouring some on his hands. “Oh, here, put this pillow under your hips as well. It should help.”

“The fuck do I need this under my ass for?” the monochrome Akuma asks bemusedly, following the other’s orders. He settles himself in place, the other on his knees between Reverser’s legs. Before he can say anything else, Evillustrator’s hands were on him, one slicking up his dick, which was at half-mast. The other hand had a finger circling his hole.

Reverser squeaks and jolts, clutching the sheets in a tight grip, shocked by the surprise of it. He pants, as he feels a finger prod at his entrance, slowly dipping inside.

“I told you, you need to relax,” Evillustrator hums, leaning over Reverser’s body to drag his teeth down his neck, nipping at random points. A hand was still on Reverser’s dick, slowly pumping it, and the finger was still inside Reverser’s ass. But the monochrome man found his attention split.

“S-Sorta hard to relax with someone stroking my dick and trying to finger my ass open but okAY,” he yelps, as his partner takes his hand away from pumping his cock to slip under his tunic and pinch his nipple. “Ohhhhkay, I see where this is going, hah. Nice.”

“So you like it when I’m a little rough, then?” Evillustrator asks hotly in his ear, before taking it between his teeth.

Reverser finds himself panting open-mouthed, hole fluttering around the finger buried in him as his partner slowly pumped it in and out.

“Y-Yeah, I guess,” he says, trying to go for casual and probably failing. “S’hot. Gets my blood pumping.”

Evillustrator switches his hand to pinch the opposite nipple, Reverser giving a breathy moan that was soon swallowed by the other’s mouth.

* * *

Reverser soon finds himself drunk off the other’s touches.

He knows Evillustrator only has two hands, but damn, it feels like he has more with the attentive way he touches and pinches and kneads at Reverser’s flesh. It’s like his lover’s trying to pay every part of him equal attention, and somehow managing it.

Working his teeth against Reverser’s ear, and neck, and lips. Pinching at his nipples, or his sides, or his thighs. Grabbing his ass and massaging the cheeks. Gripping his cock in his hand and pumping it, thumbing the slit, or trailing down and massaging his balls.

The only constant is the slide of his dexterous artist fingers in the Reverser’s hole, the drag of them, how they fill him up. The way one finger transforms into two, and then two to three. How Evillustrator makes sure to brush against the bundle of nerves that gets Reverser to see stars, to snap his hips and moan in pleasure, precum spurting from his aching cock.

“ _Fuck_ , so good,” he whines, toes curling, curling one of his hands in the other’s ridiculous red-and-purple hair. “Shit. A-Am I close to being ready yet? I wanna feel your cock in me already, Evie.”

“Evie? That’s a cute nickname,” the other Akuma says lightly, teasingly.

“Don’t tease me, you bitch-ass motherFUCK—” Reverser gasps, feeling the other press and grind his fingers right on his prostate. “Ohhhh _fuck_ , baby, fuck fuck fuck—”

Evillustrator retracts his fingers, and the monochrome man almost whimpers. “So close, damnit, _c’mon_ —”

“You can’t come yet. I haven’t even started,” Evillustrator chuckles, giving him a kiss, fast and wet and dirty. “We’re done with prep now, my dear.”

Reverser perks up at that, knowing the light at the end of the tunnel was so close. “Oh _fuck_ yeah, get that cock in me!”

His partner laughs brightly, before kissing him quick on the lips. “I enjoy your enthusiasm.”

“You’ll be enjoying it more when I moan for you when as fuck me, I bet,” Reverser smirks, giving a sleezy leer.

“Crass, but probably,” Evillustrator says with a smile, leaning back and fumbling for the condoms on the bed.

Reverser reaches out, lightning-quick, taking the other’s wrist in his hand. “Don’t. We don’t need ‘em.”

“Are you sure…?” the purple-skinned man asks quietly, eyes doe-wide as they look back at him. _God_ , he was so cute and soft. Reverser both hates and loves it.

“I wanna feel you in me. All of you,” the monochrome man says evenly, voice quiet as well, as if to keep up the atmosphere of intimacy. “Wanna feel your cum in me.”

“Do you also not want a condom for when…”

“Nah,” Reverser grins back crookedly. “Let’s do it all-natural.”

Evillustrator chuckles, leaning in to leave a sweet kiss on his lips. “Okay. Whatever you wish, my prince.”

And then he was grabbing onto the monochrome man’s hip with one hand, the other lining himself up to Reverser’s stretched and waiting hole.

Reverser finds himself holding his breath in pure anticipation. He feels it, when the tip of Evillustrator’s cock slips through the ring of muscle. He tries to keep relaxed, but his hole flutters around the warm intrusion anyways.

“More,” he demands, wriggling his hips a bit.

Evillustrator grits his teeth, wind whistling as he slides his cock in another inch, before he’s using both hands to pin Reverser’s hips to the bed. “Keep still and be patient.”

The monochrome man whines, trying to squirm in the other’s hold, heart beating like a jackrabbit. So _this_ is how it feels, to be on the other end, huh? Fuck. It’s actually kinda hot.

* * *

It’s a test of his patience, but Evillustrator finally bottoms out inside Reverser.

He had to keep the other Akuma pinned because Reverser was incredibly eager to start. But Evillustrator knew he wouldn’t be able to last long, if he didn’t take things slow at the beginning.

He lets himself adjust, the other panting and whining, tugging at his hair and demanding brattily, “Start fucking me already! The suspense is killing me!”

“Patience is a virtue, love,” the art-based Akuma says evenly.

Reverser pouts, his cheeks flushed grey, batting his coal eyes. Hah. It’s cute, seeing him try to beg. And such a new expression on his bi-colored face.

Evillustrator pulls back slowly, until just the tip of his member was the other’s hole, before ramming his hips forwards. Reverser gasps, eyes blowing wide and hips attempting to jerk in his hold, but he keeps his partner pinned in place.

He starts slow, with deep and long strokes, pace quickening when Reverser yanks at his hair and moans, loud and wild. The other man throws his head back, mottled neck bared, black-painted lips parted wide as he moans and whines in pleasure.

“Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Dynamic. Marvelous. Riveting,” the art-based Akuma declares, in time with his thrusts, each complimented drilled into the other. “An absolute _masterpiece.”_

“Fuck, Evie, s-so fucking _good_ ,” Reverser moans breathlessly.

He watches the bi-colored member twitch and dribble pre-cum onto the other’s torso, the tunic long-been pushed up to Reverser’s chest. The monochrome man is panting and keening, seemingly unable to decide between yanking at Evillustrator’s hair or digging nails down his back, somehow managing both at once.

“Look at you. Such a sight. Taking my cock so _beautifully_ ,” he finds himself praising, his partner’s hips spasming in his grip, a gasp falling past black-painted lips. Reverser’s coal eyes are wide and wild, staring back at him as he goes on with, “I wish I could memorialize this. Memorialize you. Paint you as you are right now, and hang you in the Louvre, for all to see. For all to worship you.”

“ _Oh, fuck,”_ Reverser gasps, back arching and cock bobbing, spurting more and more pre down his torso. “F-fuck, Evie, tell—tell me more.”

“I want to take a picture. No, a hundred pictures. A thousand of them,” Evillustrator declares, hips snapping faster, fucking into the other’s tight heat and causing the bed to creak in tandem. “So I can remember this. The way you look, under me. The arch of your body. How my cock drills into you, swallowed by your greedy hole.”

“Fuuuuuuck, yeah,” Reverser moans, jerking his hips enough to try and meet Evillustrator’s thrusts. “God, Evie, your cock— _ahn_ —it feels so fucking _phenomenal_.”

“I want to remember this. Making love to you. Filling you with my cock and my cum, and watching you moan for me, watch as you splatter your torso with your own seed,” the artist babbles, the pace of his hips uncoordinated as he lets one hand go from the other’s hips, grabbing the weeping and bobbing cock and start pumping. “Come for me, love. Can you do that? Can you come for me?”

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK, EVIE, FUUUUUCK,” Reverser sobs, writhing under him and jerking his hips wildly.

Reverser’s bi-colored member pulses in Evillustrator’s hand, before ropes of cum shoot out and cover his torso. His hole clamps around Evillustrator as he rides through his orgasm, and the artist finds himself moaning low and loud as he jerkily fucks into the other’s tight heat, spilling his seed.

God fucking damn, that feels so fucking _amazing_.

Evillustrator pants, slowing his hips, feeling his member pulse and twitch while buried in the other’s heat. The monochrome man whimpers under him when he carefully slides his cock out of his ass, his load soon dribbling out.

The purple-skinned man has just enough wherewithal to shuffle a bit to the side, before collapsing next to his partner and lover, leg and arm draped over him, pressing a kiss to the other’s pulse point. Reverser’s pulse flutters and thrums, and he melts against Evillustrator’s hold, threading a hand softly through his hair.

They don’t say it aloud, but the ‘I love you’ is thick in the air and slick on their skin and deep in their bones. Evillustrator smiles against his partner’s neck, whispering it under his breath anyways, just because he can. He feels Reverser snuggle into him in response.

And then exhaustion pulls him under.

* * *


	4. Young and Ashamed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated! Have some actual genuine plot. I know, rare in this fic, but I had to take a breather from the horny.

* * *

Marc feels warm, and loved, and satiated. He also feels like someone is cuddling into him, and it’s nice.

…

Wait. Someone’s cuddling into him?

Despite his eyelids feeling like lead, he forces open his crusty eyes, squinting at the ceiling. Then looking over at his clock, the red numbers noting it was five thirty-five. Whether that meant the morning or the evening, Marc was not coherent enough to figure out, and a little afraid to ask.

That question out of the way, Marc turns to attention down, looking at who was cuddling him.

Red hair. That’s all he can tell so far. Red hair and pale skin with freckles.

Oh, and the man cuddling him was naked from the waist down. And so was Marc, now that he notices. The writer’s shirt is also ridden up, there’s cum drying on his torso, and something crusty is in his ass.

Welp. Guess that explains what happened…sort of.

A hook up? Probably. But something about all this just didn’t add up to the writer, and he wasn’t exactly sure what…

He carefully tries to sit up, only to have the stranger cling tighter to him. The redhead nuzzles his face into Marc’s collarbones and murmurs, “Mn, Rev…Don’t go…”

Rev…?

Wait. Wait a fucking minute.

Marc internally panics, wondering if it means what he thinks it means, because he _thinks_ it means that the stranger is talking about Reverser. Which is Marc’s Akuma form.

And the only person that would call Reverser a nickname like ‘Rev’ is one Nathaniel Kurtzberg, whose Akuma form is Evillustrator. The same Nathaniel Kurtzberg that was a redhead.

Ohhhhh _fuck_.

“Holy shit,” the writer finds himself whispering, panic building, alongside a complicated cocktail of other emotions.

Oh God. Ohhhhh God, he either hooked up with Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Nathaniel hooked up with him while he was an Akuma, or they hooked up while both of them were Akuma. Considering his complete lack of memory, the first option was probably off the table. He’s not sure which of the other two options would be better.

Okay, don’t worry about that. Worry about what he should do right now. Should he stay? Should he try to leave the bed? _Can_ he even leave his bed? And what should he be saying to the artist when he wakes up?

Apparently, Marc has to figure out the answers to all his questions soon, because he feels the redhead stir against him. “Urgh, Rev, what…what happened?”

The redhead lifts his head up, squinting around himself and trying to sit up. Marc freezes in place, watching with bated breath as the redhead blinks his blue eyes and surveys the room, before his gaze finally lands on Marc.

And then those blue eyes blow wide, and the redhead squeaks. “Y-You’re not Rev.”

“Uh, y-yeah…Sorry…” Marc manages to say through his heart in his throat.

“Fuck. I don’t remember a damn thing. Shit, dude, I’m _so_ fucking sorry,” the redhead babbles, sitting up properly, looking around himself wildly. “Uh…Fuck.”

“Y-You’re at m-my place,” the writer stutters out. “Um, hi? I-I’m Marc.”

“Yeah, uh…Nice to, um. Nice to meet you, Marc,” the artist says, giving an awkward and guilty laugh. “I’m Nathaniel? Yeah.”

Marc sucks in a sharp breath at the confirmation. Right. Okay. So Nathaniel Kurtzberg, his idol, is currently in his bed. This is fine.

“Sorry, but uhhhhh, for your own safety, I’m gonna ask you to keep this quiet,” Nathaniel sighs, staring Marc straight in the eyes. “See, my boyfriend, Rev—he’s a protective and kinda crazy bastard and…”

Nathaniel trails off. Marc stares. Then the redhead squints at him, before rubbing at both his eyes. And then squints at him some more.

“Fuck, I guess I have a type. You look a lot like him,” the artist mutters, staring at Marc like he wasn’t sure if he was real or not.

“M-Maybe that’s b-because I am,” the words spill from Marc’s lips.

Nathaniel just stares blankly back at him, and after a pause, letting out a flat, “What.”

“I-I—I’m Rev,” Marc stutters, completely unconvincing. With a wince, he amends, “Reverser. Th-that’s my Akuma’s name.”

The artist gasps, a hand flying up to cover his mouth. Through his fingers comes out a muffled, “N-No fuckin’ way…”

And then Nathaniel was grabbing Marc’s shoulders and leaning in, staring at him with his face less than a foot away. “How can I know you’re really Reverser?” he asks, voice as serious as the grave and sea-blue eyes just as serious.

Marc finds himself laughing, just this side of hysterical, “Y-you really can’t. Getting Akumatized wipes your memory, remember? Or, er, well, I g-guess technically you wouldn’t—”

“Jokes later. Evidence now,” the other cuts through curtly, before sighing. “Shit, sorry, I sound like a dickbag. It’s just… This is a _really_ fucking stressful situation. Sorry.”

  
“N-No, yeah, I f-feel that,” Marc finds himself agreeing easily, biting his lip, considering. “Um…I can tell you my interactions, before and after I transformed, and maybe those facts can help, uh, convince you?”

The artist leans back, taking his hands off Marc’s shoulder, and nods. “Cool. Sure. But first, can I, uh…Can I put my pants back on, or…?”

The writer’s face instantly burns bright, and he sputters, waving his hands in front of himself, “Y-Yeah, no, g-go for it! Oh my God, I’m, I’m sorry f-for not considering that!”

“Eh, it’s fine…I’ve got less to do to, uh, clean myself up…” Nathaniel says, trailing off, his gaze slowly drifting down Marc’s cum-splattered torso before he loudly clears his throat and turns his face away. “Y-Yeah. Uh…”

And then the redhead was awkwardly shuffling off the bed. Which, fair.

* * *

Nathaniel is…conflicted, more than anything.

This guy, Marc. He looks a lot like Reverser, but pretty much acts nothing like him. No, not _nothing_ like him, exactly... He’s soft, like the few times Nathaniel’s managed to see from the Akuma.

The redhead wonders to himself as he goes digging for his pants and slipping them on. As he hops around a bit, trying to get his skinny jeans up his thicker thighs and ass, he realizes he can’t remember a damn thing. Which means he was an Akuma went all of…this…went down…

So either he was Evillustrator and fucked Marc, or he was Evillustrator and fucked Reverser. Either way, Nathaniel was a little jealous of his Akuma self. He was horny and he enjoyed sex. He sort of wanted to know who he was having sex with, too. Is that too much to ask…?

“Um, I, I have to…” Marc suddenly speaks up, shy and painfully awkward. Nathaniel looks over his shoulder, trying to be polite and keep his gaze on the other’s face. “I-I’m heading to, to the bathroom. Uh. M-Make yourself at home…?”

“Alright, sure. Thanks,” he nods, looking down and trying to find his shoes. The logistics of fucking as an Akuma and turning back into his civilian self is odd. He didn’t really have shoes as an Akuma? But he woke up without his shoes. Wack.

Nathaniel sees Marc’s tanned and naked legs pass by him, as he looks around for his sneakers. One of them is poking half-way under the bed, and the other is against the wall. Alright. He’s got his shoes now.

He goes back to sit on the bed, and wonders what the hell he’s going to do now. He’s never had a hookup this complicated before. Reverser could maybe count, but Nathaniel didn’t have to live with the consequences or awkward clean-up after those rendezvous. Akuma bullshit, and all that.

It takes about a good ten, fifteen minutes of Nathaniel’s attention wandering, taking in the space around him, before the door opens again and Marc walks back in. Nathaniel snaps his gaze away from the cool vintage MCR poster he’d been surveying, watching the other walk back in, fully clothed in a t-shirt and yoga pants.

He looks nice. At least, Nathaniel thinks so, despite the other being beet-red in the face and walking with a hunched posture that pretty much _screams_ that he wants the floor to open up and swallow him. Which, Mood and fair, honestly.

The other hesitates a few seconds, before sitting down on his bed. A good amount of distance in between the both of them. The awkwardness is thick in the air, so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Uh, hey. I’m Nathaniel. Nathaniel Kurtzberg,” the redhead introduces himself.

“I-I know,” the other says, before his eyes blow wide and he looks up at back at the artist. Nathaniel feels a little stunned, eyebrows flying high up his forehead, but doesn’t say anything else. “S-Sorry, I mean. I just…”

“Lemme guess, you’ve…seen me in the news?” Nathaniel asks carefully. Marc winces.

“Y-Yes. Among…other places.”

Well. That sounds a little creepy and ominous.

“Y-You have a, an art account. I follow it,” Marc squeaks, and…oh. Hm. That makes sense. “Y-You draw the heroes of Paris, and um. And Mightillustrator…”

The artist sighs. “Yeah, I draw Mightillustrator. Which looks a lot like my Akuma form, Evillustrator. Believe me, I know how strange that is, but I didn’t think I’d be getting Akumatized again so soon…”

Marc hums, hunching in on himself, the guilt rolling off him in nearly tangible waves. “S-s-sorry.”

“No need. You…It’s fine,” Nathaniel says, kind of wishing they could get on with it. The suspense was killing him. “I guess that’s one point towards you maybe being Reverser. The fact that you know about me beforehand.”

The other snaps his head up, staring back at him with wide and pretty emerald eyes.

“R-Right…Right, I’m s-supposed to…To tell you about how I’m Reverser…” the dark-haired man mutters, straightening his posture and looking straight at Nathaniel, face flushed a deep pink. “I’ve met you when you were Evillustrator. At least three separate times.”

“Really?” Nathaniel asks, surprised. He probably shouldn’t though. He’s met Reverser plenty of times, so it’s logical that Reverser’s civilian form would cross with Nathaniel’s Akuma form.

“Yes,” Marc nods. “Evillustrator gifted me two roses, telling me that I’d just lost my transformation. And then the third time…He came to find me, at the Dupain-Cheng Baker. And told me that I…” he hesitates, biting his lip, before he finally says, “H-he told me that he was trying to find me. Because he missed Reverser.”

“Hm,” is all the artist says, leaning back and taking the information in. It…makes a startling amount of sense, really. He _had_ been lonely and wanted to find Reverser a couple of times…

“I-I was also…I also got…angry…at Marinette,” Marc goes on, voice trembling, clasping his hands together and staring down at them. “It’s…It’s why I got Akumatized as Reverser, and tried to go for her life.”

“Yeah, that was weird,” Nathaniel nods, crossing his arms and deciding, well. Might as well get the full story there. “Why, though? Marinette isn’t the type to hurt others purposefully, and you seem…nice enough, as a civilian.”

“I-It was, it…It got out of h-hand, very, very quickly…But…”

The other sucks in a deep and shaky breath, looking up at Nathaniel through his lashes. His green eyes look wet and glassy with tears, and his voice trembles as he says, “S-She told me she was friends with you…A-And I, I— you inspire me to write. And h-have for a very long time. She’s s-seen me in the bakery, seen me writing with, with your art pulled up, but…She never…she never mentioned that she knew you…A-And Marinette is my friend, she’s so sweet and she supports me but I, I—”

“You felt betrayed, right…?” Nathaniel asks, grimacing and feeling a pang of sympathy. Something familiar. “You felt like you were being mocked, or that she didn’t actually care about your friendship.”

Marinette was a sweet person that tended to not speak up if it would spare someone’s feelings. But sometimes, her hesitance and silence affected things for the worst. The way Evillustrator had acted and lashed out during his first appearance was terrible, and he knew it, but Nathaniel was left in the dark afterwards. Stuck in a limbo where Marinette avoided him and Nathaniel just wanted to apologize, which led to Evillustrator coming back again.

It took them a few times, until Marinette finally told him to his face that she wasn’t going to date him, because she wasn’t looking for a relationship, and valued his friendship instead. That’s when Nathaniel finally realized that he needed to get help, needed to re-evaluate himself. A few months later, and Nathaniel didn’t get Akumatized again, seeing a therapist and getting medication. He checked himself, checked his temper. He bettered himself, and he finally got over the hurdle of awkwardness and became Marinette’s friend instead of the guy awkwardly pining after her.

And things had been fine, for the past three or so years. He hadn’t gotten Akumatized…until Reverser came along, that is.

“I-I didn’t m-mean to—I d-didn’t—I didn’t want to hurt her, I just…” Marc says shakily, voice choked. “I’m _sorry_.” And then he sobs, burying his face in his hands.

Oof. Crying people. Not Nathaniel’s strong suit.

The artist shifts, getting up from the bed to sit down next to the distressed Marc. He gently places a hand on the other’s shoulder, rubbing it. “Hey, it’s okay. Hawkmoth makes us the worst versions of ourselves. He takes your feelings and twists them to his own benefit, amplifying your negative emotions. Your feelings are no less valid because of what he’s done in manipulating them.”

He lets Marc cry it out, because this entire situation is hella stressful, and sometimes you just need a good cry. Marc seems like the type of guy that doesn’t care about hypermasculine bullshit, the type that shows his emotions.

“Let it out, alright? You’re good. You’re fine. Let it out.”

He then stiffens, when the other turns to him, burying his face against Nathaniel’s shoulder. But the artist doesn’t move away, just keeps rubbing the other’s shoulder and lets him cry it out.

* * *

Marc feels strung out and wrecked, when he finally stops crying. He sniffles, finally retracting his head from Nathaniel’s shoulder. “S-Sorry,” he rasps. “G-Got your shirt dirty.”

“Eh, it probably needs a wash anyways,” the other shrugs, giving him an awkward little smile. “Feel a little better?”

“Yeah, a-actually,” Marc agrees in a croak. “Um…Sorry, again.”

“Please don’t apologize more,” Nathaniel says, grimacing a bit, and Marc’s heart falls before the other rushes out with, “Shit, sorry, I sound like a dick again. I meant, I’m not mad at you. So you don’t need to apologize. This day’s been wack, and we’re both doing our best.”

“Oh, I-I’ll say,” Marc laughs wetly, wiping the last of his tears away with his knuckles. “Um…Anyways, I…I d-don’t remember anything of what happened before, uh, before _this_ , so…”

“Me neither,” Nathaniel agrees with a nod. “I’m gonna take a guess that I was turned into an Akuma.”

“S-Same…”

“Which means our Akuma forms got busy,” Nathaniel says, with a little laugh, pale cheeks flushing pink. “Heh, I didn’t even consider that, b-but it sorta makes sense? Good for them for working it out, at least…”

Marc hums, finding his own face warming. “Y-Yeah, uh…E-Evillustrator seemed to, um, be very fond of Reverser. He even went to find me b-because he wanted to see Reverser again, a bit of time ago…”

Marc bites his lip, and considers. It…It might be better to come clean, and admit to Nathaniel a few things…

“Uh—” “So—”

Marc pauses, blinking back at Nathaniel, the two having spoken at the same time.

“Go ahead,” the redhead nods at him.

“N-No, I insist,” Marc says, gesturing back at the other.

“No, seriously, you should go first,” Nathaniel states, looking nervous and awkward. “I…I’ve got a lot of shit to say, so.”

“O-Oh. Um. Alright…” Marc says, before taking in a deep breath and letting it out. “Um, E-Evillustrator said he, he wanted to get to know me. Not j-just Reverser. And I, I—I kissed him!”

There, alright, he said it.

Marc buries his burning face in his hands, and babbles on with, “Y-You were—he was—he was _so_ romantic! And I-I’ve always wondered and, and dreamed of a scenario where, where I could kiss Mightilustrator. So I just. I kissed him! And shoved my tongue down his throat! I’m so sorry! That’s probably so _weird_ , and I didn’t ask, and I’m terrible! Awful!”

“No! No, no, it’s fine! It’s okay!” Nathaniel quickly tries to console him frantically. “It’s—alright, you know? Um. A kiss isn’t that bad?”

“It w-wasn’t just a kiss! We made out…!” Marc wails, the scene replaying in his mind’s eye. “There was, was— _grinding_ involved!”

“I mean, that’s still fine? N-Now I don’t have to feel _as_ guilty, w-when I tell you, uh. I. Well…”

The writer takes a breath, and raises his face from his hands, blinking back at the other confusedly. “W-What? What… do you have to tell me?”

The artist’s eyes dart around the room wildly, and his face is as red as his hair. He gives a hysterical laugh, unable to look Marc in the eyes, as he squeaks out, “I kiiiinda dated Reverser? Maybe? And w-we had sex. Like. Like a couple times.”

“Oh,” Marc finds himself stating blankly, his mind whirring and unable to process what the other just said. And then it hits him all at once, like a sucker punch. “ _Oh_.”

Nathaniel lets out a very high-pitched and squeaky squeal, burying his face in his hands. “W-Well. This isn’t a competition, but…” the dark-haired man starts dazedly. “I-I think you win.”

“I AM SO SORRY,” Nathaniel yells through his fingers, his ears beet-red and the only visible part of his face.

“H-How…How does that…work? Just, l-logistically?” Marc finds himself asking, mortified and curious in equal measure. “How did you even find the _time_ …”

The artist simply screams again, which. Fair.

After a few seconds, the redhead gives a groan and slides his hands off his face. “L-Look, it just. It just sort of happened? I didn’t exactly plan to fuck an Akuma and enter a relationship, b-but here I am.”

“Th-that sounds…complicated,” Marc finally decides to say, trying to go for delicate.

“ _Believe_ me when I say, it is. It really, _really_ is,” Nathaniel says, with a nervous laugh. “Sorry, is it weird to talk about? I mean, you don’t even remember any of it, but…”

“Well,” Marc starts, “I’ve already l-lost control of my life, so…If you want to tell me, I-I think that’s fine? It’s not like there’s anyone else we can r-really tell this to…”

“No, yeah, you’re right,” the other sighs, long and loud, his shoulders slumping. Like a weight was taken off of them, a weight he carried with him for a long time. “You want the Sparknotes version, or you wanna hear the whole thing?”

The dark-haired man finds himself shifting in place, turning to sit with crossed legs, so he can face the other properly. “Well, I’m a writer. I’m always a fan of a good story,” Marc admits, with an awkward smile. One that’s returned by the redhead in front of him.

“Alright, you better get comfortable. Because it’s a _long_ fucking story,” Nathaniel warns.

* * *

It feels good, getting everything off his chest, finally having someone to talk to about all this.

He didn’t get into the nitty-gritty details, the blow-by-blow. He skipped some parts, for Marc’s sake, because it must be awkward as _fuck_ to hear about you doing something you don’t remember. Hearing stories about your supervillain self fucking the guy in front of you.

But the artist found himself rambling, starting from Reverser’s first appearance and him chasing Nathaniel down, to Nathaniel’s latest need to see Reverser again. Said a bit about his growing feelings, and his frustrations of their time being so short together, adding in his theories of the gaps in his memories from what he pieced together from news reports after the fact.

Marc listened with rapt attention, emerald eyes intent. So much so, he looked like he really wanted to take notes. But he didn’t interrupt, only speaking when Nathaniel asked him a question to help confirm his timeline.

When the artist is finally done, he feels much lighter. Better. Freer.

“That…th-this is a lot to process…” Marc says slowly, brow furrowed and tapping his bottom lip with a finger. “It’ll take a bit to gather my, my thoughts.”

“Oh, no, definitely!” Nathaniel says quickly, waving his hands around himself. “I mean, it’s a _lot_ to take in. Literally months of information, y’know?”

Marc gives a noncommittal hum, emerald eyes distant. Then he nods. “Would—would you like to eat something in the mean time? It’s…Y-You must be hungry. I know I am.”

“I’m always down for food,” Nathaniel says, a little jokingly, relieved. His stomach had been rumbling by the end, there. “Uh, just. I know it’s picky and you might not have much, but I only eat Kosher things.”

“I’m lactose intolerant. I pretty much don’t buy any milk or dairy products,” the dark-haired man tells him with a smile, kind and warm. “Y-You can dig through my fridge to check the labels, if you’d like? And I can heat up what you find.”

“Cool. Thanks,” the artist smiles back, feeling relieved and a little flustered. It’s a very low bar, giving Nathaniel food that’s Kosher. But he’s had people that didn’t give a shit before. The fact that Marc is open to not only following his dietary needs, but letting Nathaniel try to pick his own food, it’s…sweet.

Marc gives him a little tour of his apartment, pointing out the bathroom and living space, before they’re at the kitchen. It’s small, but has enough room for all the necessities, and space for two people to comfortably maneuver around.

Nathaniel opens the fridge, and carefully checks container labels, while Marc digs around for some plates. It feels strangely domestic. Even more-so when Nathaniel shows a box of chicken lo-mein, and Marc nods with a smile, taking it from him and heating it up.

“I’ve got um, water, orange juice, some sodas,” Marc says over his shoulder. “Take your pick. Got some in the fridge, and there’s some cans in the cabinets, too.”

Once the food’s heated up and the drinks are brought out, they’re sitting at Marc’s square little four-seater table and digging in.

Nathaniel is fucking starving. He just hadn’t realized it until now. Must be the exhaustion from Akumatization, or maybe he passed out for longer than he realized, after the sex. Either way, he pretty much shoves the noodles down his gullet with a moan of appreciation, washing it down with a nice cold coke.

“Thanks for the food again,” he says, pausing from attacking his meal like a ravenous wolf.

Marc just smiles at him, covering a hand with his mouth and finishing chewing his bite. “Y-Yeah, um, it’s no problem, really.”

They make small talk. It’s the usual first date type of shit, asking about what they’re doing, what school they go to, etcetera. They try to avoid topics about their Akuma, but it’s a little hard when Nathaniel’s art revolves around the heroes and Mightillustrator. And when Marc mentions he’s a writer, he blushes pink and awkwardly laughs, avoiding eye contact as he stutters out that he’s written quite a few stories inspired by Nathaniel’s art.

Marc is…sweet. And kind. And very cute, with how shy he is. But when they talk about something that interests him, his emerald eyes sparkle and his shyness dissipates like whisps of smoke, as he speaks enthusiastically.

The way Marc’s eyes light up is all Reverser. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say, the way Reverser’s eyes would light up is all Marc.

It’s…an enjoyable meal, Nathaniel will admit. No matter the underlying awkwardness, he doesn’t remember the last time he’s had a meal with someone who isn’t a close friend or family member that’s gone this well, been this laidback, almost _familiar_.

Maybe he’s just achingly lonely, but the meal and conversation is exciting, invigorating. He’s entranced by the other’s emerald eyes and bright smiles.

They finish their meal, and chat for a little longer, cleaning up their cutlery. The artist tries to insist he can wash his own plate, because it’s only polite, but Marc shoos him away while saying that Nathaniel is a guest in his home and shouldn’t have to clean.

When he tries to near the sink, Marc holds a soapy sponge at him like a weapon, so Nathaniel just laughs and raises his hands in supplication. “Alright! Alright, I won’t clean any dishes…But can I at least help you dry them?”

The writer smiles back at him crookedly. “That’s a compromise I’ll agree to.”

It’s comfortable the rhythm they fall into. Marc lathering and washing, Nathaniel drying the dishes and cutlery. They’re finished in no time at all, and Nathaniel excuses him to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, he goes back into the little living room, seeing Marc on the couch. The dark-haired young man pats the seat next to him, and Nathaniel goes to join him.

“I’d…I’d like t-to tell you my, my story,” the other stutters out, gaze lowered to his lap, fidgeting his hands together. It’s obvious that he worked up a lot of courage to fight his nerves to offer this. The redhead finds his heart swell.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Nathaniel assures him quickly, carefully placing hand on the other’s clasped hands. “I already overwhelmed you today with my long-ass story. You just found out your alternate self was in a relationship with someone who you never properly met before. That’s a lot to take in.”

“W-Well, yes, but…It’s…It’s completely unfair to you,” Marc says, looking up from his lap, green meeting blue. “I know much more about you than you know about me. It— it’s both an information and power imbalance.”

“Well,” Nathaniel starts, before pausing. Honestly, he can’t really find anything to dispute the other, because Marc was right. He licks his lips nervously and goes on with, “Only if you want to tell me, alright? I also don’t want to force you.”

The other shakes his head with a thin and wavery smile. “I-I think I… _need_ to tell you.” The dark-haired young man straightens his posture, a determined look falling on his pretty face, as he asks, “Now, what do you want to know?”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, morning afters sure are awkward, huh?
> 
> Looks like the boys are catching feelings for their civilian selves! Or at least, Nath is catching feelings for Marc, who's already admired him for a long time.
> 
> Next chapter, Marc tells his side of things. One of the boys may or may not turn into their Akuma. Shenanigans ensue.


	5. Spill My Guts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I didn't gauge myself well. This chapter is just Marc telling his story, plus some flirting. Next chapter has Akuma shenanigans.
> 
> TW: Mentions of past bullying, self harm, and thoughts of suicide. If these things trigger you, please read cautiously. 
> 
> The parts with talk of self harm and suicide starts at this line:  
> Long story short, I didn’t have friends.
> 
> Then skip to this line for the end of it:  
> He holds the other in his arms, rocks them to and fro as Marc unravels.

* * *

“Now, what do you want to know?”

A lot. Everything, really. Nathaniel has so many questions, he’s not exactly sure where to even _start_.

He starts with a simple one. “Reverser mentioned he’s, um…He’s watched me for ‘a while’. I’m going to assume that he meant he knew about my art, but…how long would that be, exactly?”

Marc stares back at him, biting his plump bottom lip, before seemingly gathering his courage to answer. “It’s…Well, I-I’ve been following your art since…Gosh. Since I was fifteen, I think? It’s been four years already.”

“That long?” Nathaniel asks, stunned. “Oh, wow…”

Four years ago. Not exactly the start of his art career, but the time he started drawing Paris’ heroes. The time he got Akumatized, and re-made his Akuma form into something heroic, from its original villainous origins.

“S-So, yeah…It’s…I’ve admired you and your art for a long time,” Marc admits quietly, shyly, tanned face pink. It’s really charming, actually.

“Well, uh. Thanks for supporting me for so long,” the artist says awkwardly with a small smile. Because what else is he really supposed to say…? “I mean, it explains why Reverser seemed so intent about his admiration, before.”

Marc’s expression morphs into an embarrassed grimace. Right. The other probably doesn’t like to be reminded about how obsessive his Akuma is…

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for him to—to track you down—”

“It’s fine!” Nathaniel assures quickly with a wave of his hand. “Literally not your fault. Again, Hawkmoth likes taking base feelings and desires and twisting or amplifying them. You didn’t ask to be turned into a crazed stalker.”

His assurances don’t seem to make Marc feel _worse_ , necessarily, but they sure don’t help in ridding the other of embarrassment. Marc looks liable to cringe hard enough to recoil out of the sofa seat entirely.

“I—I mean, I kinda am…” the dark-haired man whispers, twisting his hands in his lap and avoiding eye contact. “I-I stalk all your social media, to see when you post new art…”

“Okay, but like. You never tried tracking me down in real life. Akuma shenanigans aside,” Nathaniel points out, waving a hand around. “Believe me, there are lengths that make you into a stalker. Enthusiastically keeping up with my social media isn’t really one of them. A stalker would piece together my location from my posts and hunt me down, or something.”

Marc looks up at him through his lashes. Wow, did he have very nice lashes. And such pretty green eyes. And—and he should focus instead of being mesmerized by the other’s pretty face. _Damn it, Nathaniel, stop letting your mind wander…!_

“Do…Do you have any other questions…?”

“Uhhhh, not really?” he shrugs back hopelessly. “You can—you can start from the beginning? Or just go whatever you feel comfortable with.”

“The beginning…” Marc trails off, rubbing a finger over his bottom lip, brows furrowed into a frown. “Well, it began four years ago. You started posting drawings of yourself alongside the heroes. Then you were Akumatized, and turned your villain persona into something heroic. I thought—I thought that was very admirable.”

“Well, thanks for thinking that,” the artist starts, quickly adding at Marc’s confused and doubtful expression, “No, seriously! Most thought I was just stupid. Doing it to get attention.”

Marc’s expression is sad, emerald eyes shining with sympathy. “I remember those comments. They were so _awful_. You were just a child, then. You didn’t deserve having people demonize you…”

“Believe me, I got used to it,” Nathaniel shrugs in a ‘what can you do?’ motion. “Part of the Akuma Class of Paris, me and my friends got used to being victim-blamed. Like, this was the start of Hawkmoth’s terror, the start of Akumatizations. No one knew what the hell was going on. People were quick to point blame at whoever they could, to make themselves feel better.”

“It doesn’t make it right,” the other states firmly, placing a hand on Nathaniel’s arm, green eyes meeting blue. “It never was, and it still isn’t. No one deserves that, especially you, when you were so young and vulnerable.”

Nathaniel blinks back. Like this, looking so fierce and determined, Marc looked closer to Reverser than ever before. It causes his heart to flutter, Marc’s hand feeling exceedingly warm on his arm.

“I—yeah. Yeah, it’s not. It is what it is,” he agrees quietly, with a lopsided grin worming on his lips. “But our class, we got through it together. Took some time, but we supported each other then, and we still do it now. So it’s not all bad.”

“It…must’ve been nice, having friends that could support you, even with something so awful,” the dark-haired man says, before biting his lip and retracting his hand. “I…I wish I’d had something like that. A support system.”

Ah. Nathaniel has a distinct feeling he was going to get the other’s sad backstory now.

There must be something in his expression or posture that gives his thoughts away, because Marc lets out a chuckle, bitter and sad. “It’s—it’s fucked up, I know, but…I’ve actually wondered how it would feel, being a part of your class. Getting Akumatized and ostracized with you all. At least then, I’d maybe have had some friends to support me in my teen years…”

“…That’s a yikes, my dude,” Nathaniel can’t help but say, unknowing how to really respond other than with memes, and an awkward attempt at levity.

Marc snorts, shaking his head. “Yeah, it’s…Yeah.”

“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to,” the artist reminds the other, shifting in his seat a little uncomfortably. “I mean, I’m willing to listen, but if it’ll put you in a worse place…”

“I’m willing to tell you, unless if puts _you_ in a worse place.”

“Marc, I’m literally offering to listen to you. And I’ve got a therapist.” One that he hasn’t really been able to talk to much in the past month or two, granted. But he at least has one! “My mental stability is like a game of Russian Roulette, but I got laid and got food, so I’m currently at a good enough place right now mentally.”

Marc blinks back at him, before sputtering out a laugh, clapping a hand over his mouth. Nathaniel feels a surprising amount of pride at getting such a reaction from the other. Deflecting his own problems with humor is something his therapist keeps telling him not to do, but if it makes this very pretty and very sad friend of his happy? He’s glad to do it.

“Alright. But…don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the dark-haired man says with a shake of his head, mirth bleeding out of his expression, leaving a gentle warmth behind. “It’s…It’s heavy, but it goes along with why I—I admire you so greatly.”

Nathaniel nods back, shifting in his seat to a more comfortable position, crossing his legs. He places his hands on his shins and leans forwards.

Marc nods to himself, dragging a hand through his messy hair, letting out a long breath. “Alright. So…” he starts, clasping his hands together. “I’ve had an…extensive…history with bullying. My Mom had to move me around to different schools because of it. I’ve always been shy, and I’ve always looked androgynous. I never really hid what I was or who I liked as a kid. Which would be fine, but inner-city schools are a different brand from normal schools here in Paris…”

Nathaniel feels his heart sink, already feeling like he knew where this was going. Paris was one of the friendliest places for LGBT people around, but that didn’t mean hatred didn’t exist.

“Long story short, I didn’t have friends. And I didn’t hide that I was gay. And when you’re stuck in a shitty situation, inevitably people will try to lash out at the weakest link, make them a punching bag,” Marc says, drumming his fingers of one hand against his knuckles. “I was scrappy and could fight back physically, but mentally, I was never in a good place. I’m neurotic. I can break down easily. So, that led to self-harm.”

The redhead feels his breath hiss out of his teeth, heartbroken and sympathetic in equal halves.

“The scars are all healed, mostly,” Marc says with a grim smile, patting at his upper thigh. “I made them easy to hide, but they’ve faded. At the time I was cutting, that was the time Akuma were becoming a thing. Cutting made me feel numb, strangely made me feel calm. When I was panicking over getting Akumatized or bullied, it made my head clear…And then I stumbled across your drawings.”

Nathaniel takes a deep breath, holding his shins tight, intent on capturing every detail of the other’s story.

“Your drawings… They gripped my attention so easily. The ones of Ladybug and Chat Noir captured their strength and kindness, made them feel real and close. Made things feel less hopeless. And then I saw your drawings of another figure, and you explained it was your Akuma as a hero, and it felt…Relieving, almost. To see you take something that caused you pain, and turn it into something good, something that gave you strength.”

“I searched and found the news reports about the Akuma—Evillustrator. And then saw you keep getting Akumatized, until they finally stopped altogether. You posted about going to therapy. You were so open and honest about your problems, but there was…there was hope, too. That you would get better, and all this would work out for you? It was inspiring.”

Marc’s smile is soft and sincere, his emerald eyes shining with tears. He gives a little laugh, sniffling and wiping at the edges of his eyes. “And I know it’s a little stupid and silly, but—but your art? It just gave me so much hope. _You_ gave me so much hope. You saved me when I wanted to…”

“…To?” Nathaniel asks quietly, despite already feeling like he knew. But he asked anyways, reaching a hand out. Marc grabs it like a lifeline, knuckles white, tears trickling down his face.

“One day, I was—I was experiencing the worst day in my life. Mom collapsed at work, and had to go to the hospital, but we didn’t have money for our bills, and I just…I felt so hopeless,” Marc hiccups, wiping at his face with his fist. “I was—was standing in the bathroom with a razor, and I was ready to end it at sixteen. ‘Cuz what was the fucking point, right? What’s the point in living if we were gonna be homeless and helpless after all this?”

“And then my—my phone. Got a notification. I always h-had it set for when you posted something new, and… I took my phone out, and saw you posted a new art of M-Mightillustrator saying ‘ _The moon’s always there in the night sky_ ’. With a little message under the post, something about how there’s, there’s always l-light in darkness. And I realized that I just—I couldn’t give up. Mom _needed_ me.”

Nathaniel doesn’t hesitate to reach out and bring the other into a hug, a cyclone in his heart and his eyes burning with tears. Marc breaks, then, sobbing unabashedly against his chest.

“I’m glad you’re here,” the artist whispers, voice thick and wavering as tears escape the edges of his eyes. “Marc, I’m _glad you’re here_. Okay?”

He holds the other in his arms, rocks them to and fro as Marc unravels. The sheer raw emotion of the other’s story makes Nathaniel’s heart bleed alongside Marc’s, but it feels almost cathartic. Sharing in the pain. Helping this other broken soul.

He lets Marc cry, soaking his shirt with his tears for a second time that day. It’s charming, how free the other is with his emotions, unbothered by crying so openly.

After a few minutes, the other sniffles. “Fuck. Sorry for ruining your shirt again.”

Nathaniel can’t help it. He chuckles. “S’fine. I probly cried all over your hair, anyways.”

Marc pulls back, sniffling. His eyes are red-rimmed and teary, and there’s a little snot under his nose. “Fuck, gimme a sec…”

The dark-haired man turns to the coffee table, leaning over to yank the box of tissues there. Maybe he’d had them there earlier, just in case. If so, it’s good move. He cleans his face and blows his nose, before offering the artist some tissues as well, which Nathaniel takes gladly.

* * *

Marc is emotionally wrung out. Not only did he cry on his idol once, but now he’s done it a second time.

Nathaniel doesn’t seem particularly bothered. If anything, he looks less awkward this second time than the first. Maybe he’s not as caught off guard because of Marc’s easy waterworks, which is only a positive. Marc…is a very emotional person that likes to cry to get things out.

The redhead wipes away his tears. The fact that he cried along with Marc is… It makes Marc’s heart swell. Nathaniel is obviously a very kind and empathetic person, which is something Marc only somewhat knew, but had it confirmed for him first-hand.

The other’s eyes are red-rimmed, and his nose is red as well, pale face blotchy. But he still looks handsome to Marc. Or maybe Marc’s just so head over heels, the others’ appearance doesn’t even matter anymore.

“You know,” the artist starts in a rasp, before clearing his throat, “Y’know, I’ve always wanted to—to be a hero. And help save people. Knowing I—I actually managed that, with my art? That’s some really powerful shit.”

Marc finds himself smiling at how sheepish and vulnerable the other’s expression is, the softness in his sea-blue eyes. “Should I start calling you my hero, then?”

The other’s face flushes pink. “I-I—no, that’s—you don’t have to do that!” he sputters, waving his hands in front of his face.

“What if I want to?” Marc asks in a retort, light and curious.

The other wheezes, eyes wide, before he buries his face in a hand. Very cute. “I-I’m emotionally compromised right now. I c-can’t give you a good answer on that.”

“That’s fair,” he finds himself saying, biting his lip to bite down a laugh that’s bubbling up his throat. It would probably be rather inappropriate to laugh at the other, so soon after spilling his tragic backstory and sobbing. Nathaniel however is…incredibly charming and genuine, and Marc is ridiculously smitten.

“Anyways, to get away from the heavy stuff…I’ve followed your art for four years. And in that time, I’ve tried to comment on all your things. To give you a little bit of happiness in exchange for the happiness you’ve given me. It’s the least I could do, I’d imagine,” Marc says, watching as Nathaniel shyly peeks up at him through his fingers.

“O-Oh? What’s your username, then…? I might recognize you,” the artist asks, finally raising his head to look at Marc in the face again.

“Rainbowrites,” the username slips smoothly from his tongue, like it’s natural. As if he’s revealed himself plenty of times before, when he’s never spoken it aloud before now.

The effect is instantaneous. Nathaniel gapes back at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth in pure shock, before his expression morphs into one of elation. “Wait, _really_?! You’re Rainbowrites…?!” The redhead leans in close, sea-blue eyes gleaming and smile wide on his face. “Holy shit, you’re _amazing_! Your comments always make my day!”

Marc finds his breath stuttering in his chest. His face feels warm as he asks a strangled, “Oh?”

“Yeah! I can always count on you to notice my things. I look forwards to your comments every time I post, actually,” the other admits guilelessly, with that same bright smile.

_Don’t kiss him, Marc. Don’t grab his face right this second and plant one on him. This doesn’t really mean anything._

“G-glad my, um. My comments are appreciated,” Marc manages to get out, flustered.

“They are! Man, and to think, you and Rev are the same person…” Nathaniel muses with a shake of his head. “I was wondering how it’d be like to get to meet Rainbowrites, but never thought it’d be like this.”

Marc rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “W-Well, I never thought my first meeting with my idol would b-be us waking up naked in the same bed…”

“Ha! That’s fair, though,” the artist chuckles, leaning back. Marc finally feels like he can breathe properly without the other so enticingly close. “Oh, I’ve got one more question, actually.”

“Shoot.”

“You mentioned you write things over my art? And paired with your username, it makes sense,” the artist starts with twirling a finger in the air. “But I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen you post any writing before…? Which is a shame. I’d love to read and support your work, too, since you’ve supported me for so long.”

“Oh. Um,” the writer starts, surprised and flustered. He’s not sure why he is, considering it just…seems like a natural question, a natural exchange. Content creators support each other all the time.

He’s just always been to anxious and shy to post any of his writing, to show it to Nathaniel. He’s always felt so untouchable. And Marc had thought, well—his art was so amazing, he wouldn’t want to read anything Marc’s written over it.

The redhead seems to read his hesitance perfectly. “Hey, I know it’s hard posting your work. But I love getting fanart and fan content! It’s like—it’s amazing, knowing I’ve inspired someone to actually create things? And all based on my stuff? Plus, with how well-thought out your comments are, I’m pretty sure anything you write will be top notch.”

Nathaniel gives him another kind smile, and Marc feels like he’s been sniped instantly. Those crinkled sea-blue eyes, the flash of pearly canines, the softness of the expression…

“Believe me, there’s some of my writing you would _not_ want to read,” he manages to choke out.

The other’s expression quickly morphs into a pout. “Oh, c’mon, don’t be like that! I’d like to read everything you’ve written!”

“Even smut?”

Marc wishes he could pluck the words straight from the air and bury them forever. But he’s already said them. There’s no taking them back. So instead, he forces his face to be blank to hide his panic, sweat beading on his brow.

The other’s eyes are wide, and he stares back at him, mouth falling into a small ‘o’. “O-Oh you—you’ve actually written…about…”

“I’ve written a lot of things,” Marc starts in a rather even voice he’s quite proud of achieving. “And quite a few of them are raunchy, and things I’d rather not show just anyone.”

Nathaniel leans back, face flushing pink and eyes darting to the side. “Th-that actually, uh. That helps explain Reverser…”

Considering the sheer amount of times Marc’s fantasized about fucking the redhead’s various identities, or being fucked by him? And the vague explanation of how Reverser acted with Nathaniel, when he told his story earlier? Yeah, Marc would imagine his infatuation, coupled with his sexual fantasies, explained a _lot_ about Reverser.

“I-I mean, you don’t—you don’t have to show me that, if you’re uncomfortable?” Nathaniel says in a high voice, face blushing bright. “But um—I’d like to read your writing anyways. The normal stuff, and the, uh. The smut…”

Marc finds relief coursing through his veins. So his idol _doesn’t_ think he’s a freak for writing porn that’s essentially about him? That’s…great, actually.

The writer also can’t help but tease the other a bit, asking, “I’m not uncomfortable by it, but you seem pretty uncomfortable. If you don’t want it—”

“I do! I do want it!” the other exclaims, before coughing into his fist, face nearly the red of his hair. “I-I mean, the—the smut. I want the smut, not, uh…”

He feels a burst of energy fill him, a sense of boldness. He’s revealed so much of himself, and Nathaniel didn’t push away. The opposite, in fact—Nathaniel seems very much interested. Interested in _him_.

And that’s a hell of a confidence boost, actually. Especially considering Marc’s alter ego had previously been the only pull to Nathaniel, before this conversation.

“Nathaniel…” Marc trails off, voice lilting and in near sing-song.

“I-I’m not going to take advantage of you, that’s…I mean, you’re my fan, but—but you’re also my friend. At least, I consider you my friend after this? And you’re technically also my boyfriend, kinda, maybe? But that doesn’t excuse—” the redhead sputters out, eyes darting every which way and hands fluttering.

Marc leans forwards and captures one of the artist’s hands, smiling crookedly. “If you want something, all you have to do is ask,” he says, voice low and intent, almost a purr. “What would you like? Just tell me, and I’ll be happy to give it to you…”

Nathaniel wheezes, staring back at him. “Y-Yeah, I can—I can see h-how you’re Reverser, now.”

Marc giggles, letting the other’s hand go and leaning back. “Sorry, just…I wasn’t joking. I’m more than happy to be your friend, or whatever else you’d like. The fact that you’ve thought so highly of me for this long, and I never knew—it’s gotten me excited.”

“R-Right. Uh.” The redhead fiddles with his fingers, eyes darting down to his lap, then up at Marc through his lashes. “I mean, I think we’re friends? And, um. For now, I want to get to know you. Read your stuff. And I-I guess have a crisis on you having top energy later…”

* * *

Marc giggles again, pressing his fist against his lips. It’s such a cute and shy movement, contrasting with the impish glitter in his emerald eyes.

Nathaniel almost feels like he’s stepped into a trap of some kind. Especially when the other smiles and asks lightly, “Oh…? What do you think I am, then?”

Nathaniel’s mind flashes to the wholly domineering nature of Reverser, overlaid with the usual shyness of the other man, alongside Marc’s recently revealed playfulness. “U-Uh…Switch?”

“A very safe guess. But the correct one, actually,” Marc smirks back at him. And holy hell, did he have a hot smirk.

Yeah. Yeah, Nathaniel sees more and more of Reverser’s sex appeal in his civilian form.

“Do I get a prize for guessing correctly?” he asks breathlessly, hands in his lap and covering the boner that strains against his skinny jeans. Fuck. He didn’t think he’d be so horny and so ready to jump the other man in front of him. But Nathaniel feels incredibly connected to Marc, feels him fill up the gaping maw left from loneliness, the other’s hotness the final thing that tips his interest into full-blown arousal.

“Hmmm…I’ll think about it,” Marc says with a little smile, looking like he’s already thought of it. His eyes are calculating, and Nathaniel has no doubts he’s considered a lot of possibilities. Marc seems like the type to think deeply about things. “Maybe later, since we’ve both technically just met today?”

“Right! You’re right. S-sorry,” the redhead stutters, fiddling with his fingers in his lap, face burning like a furnace. Take it for him to be so needy and horny, he instantly wants to tumble into bed with his boyfriend’s civilian identity, despite barely meeting a few hours ago.

“I just don’t want either of us to be overwhelmed,” Marc says softly. Nathaniel peeks up through his bangs to see the look on the other’s face, soft and apologetic and sheepish.

“Valid. Been a wild fucking day so far,” he manages to joke, earning himself another bright laugh from Marc. He has a really nice laugh. It’s so genuine and clear…

Fuck. He was falling fast for Marc. Goddamn it.

“It really has. I think we’ve both got a lot to think about,” the dark-haired man agrees, once his laughter’s petered out.

“Yeah,” Nathaniel nods, finding himself frown. “Like…Like, how many times we’ll keep getting, y’know. Akumatized.”

Marc sighs, giving a sympathetic grimace. “It’ll be as many times as Hawkmoth wants.”

The artist nods, biting his lip and hesitating. He doesn’t want to bring it up, but…Marc seems like a smart guy. “There has to be a way to stop this…right?”

  
Marc nods back, hands clasped together. “Well, one way to stop this is if we do what our Akuma were set out to do. Capture Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous.”

“And the other way?” he can’t help but ask.

“…Get back to me later to think more about it,” Marc says after a long moment, once more looking as if he’d already thought about it, a faraway look in his eyes.

Nathaniel doesn’t press, knowing he’s already overwhelmed the other enough. He stands up from his seat, stretching a bit. “Yeah, too much to worry about right now. Thanks for the talk, though.”

“Oh, no—thank you!” Marc jumps to his feet, fluttering his hands around. Back to his gentle kindness, at playing a good host. “Would you like anything else before you go?”

“I think I’m good,” Nathaniel smiles back. “I can message you back online if I need to, right?”

“Yes, of course!” Marc nods his head furiously, messy hair bobbing with the motion. “Actually, I can—how about I give you my number as well? That might make it easier to get in contact with me.”

The two are quick to unlock their phones and switch with each other. Nathaniel inputs his name and number, heart thrumming. It’s been so long since he’s last done this… Casual hookups don’t really require exchanging numbers face-to-face. Hell, the last person he’s done this with was probably Luka, now that he thinks on it…

They return the others’ phone, smiling at each other, like they’re still schoolkids who managed to get the number of their crush. It’s…a surprisingly wholesome feeling, considering the start of the day, waking up naked and covered in cum, unknowing what the hell was happening.

“It’s—it’s been an odd time, but I’ve enjoyed meeting you,” Marc says, with a small smile and flushed cheeks, leading him to the front door.

“Yeah, same,” Nathaniel nods back, lingering and not quite stepping out. “I’m glad I got to meet you—strange circumstances with Akuma bullshit notwithstanding.”

Marc giggles and nods. “I’ll send you some of my writing later.”

“Cool. I’ll text you later, then,” the redhead answers back, heart thrumming like a war drum in his chest.

The dark-haired man smiles brightly at him, like the sun. “Get home safely, Nathaniel.”

“Will do,” he nods, before finally stepping outside of the door. He gives a dorky little wave, before walking down the corridor, going towards the closest set of stairs he sees.

When he leaves the apartment complex, he breathes in the air, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Alright. Cool. That…could have ended way worse, he thinks.

Now, to find out where the fuck he is, and use Google Maps to help him get back to his own apartment…

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of Marc's heavy talk and backstory:  
> Marc had a long history with bullying because of his looks and being gay. His mother would help him move schools, but they were rather poor, and he went to inner-city schools. The lack of friends, bullying, and threat of getting Akumatized led Marc to self harm.  
> Marc's lowest point was when his mother was hospitalized. He wanted to end it all, but his phone had a notification of Nathaniel's art. It gave Marc the strength to keep going. Nathaniel tells Marc he's glad he's still here, before hugging him.
> 
> Next time: we have more Akuma shenanigans, like I'd promised earlier. And much less heavy subjects to deal with.

**Author's Note:**

> Is this fic just an excuse to make my own Marcnath love square and see how many different times and configurations these boys can fuck? Yes. Yes it is--
> 
> Note: The relationship between these two is in no way meant to be healthy. Being a person that stalks and is possessive of someone else, and force yourself on that person, is not good. Just because I write this in fanfiction doesn't mean I condone it. I'm also not trying to trivialize mental health conditions either, but these two boys suffer from PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, etc.


End file.
